You Fixed Me When I Was Broken
by blackkisbackk
Summary: After the war, the students return to Hogwarts to complete their education. Draco has changed, and this does not go unnoticed by Hermione. He won't take no for an answer, but Hermione isn't sure if she's ready to risk everything.
1. It Was Cute An Hour Ago

_This is a slight AU in the modern era of the Harry Potter world. The timeline is slightly skewed in that Harry began his search for the Horcruxes midway through his sixth year with the aid of Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione, enabling him to defeat Voldemort by the end of the summer before seventh year. So, everyone has returned to Hogwarts to complete their wizarding educations while still recovering from the aftermath of the war. Aside from the relationship that develops in this story, it is largely canon, meaning that all of the deaths and events that occurred in DH still hold true, just on this altered timeline. This particular segment of the trio's seventh year begins about two weeks prior to the winter holidays. Any and all comments and questions about the setting, timeline, or the story in general are more than welcome and will be addressed as needed. This story begins as a simple story about their lives at Hogwarts following the war (it also begins with HG/RW, but don't let that discourage you—it is a HG/DM fic, I assure you), but develops into much more after a few encounters between two characters, causing the development of an unexpected relationship. Enjoy. _

**Chapter 1: It Was Cute an Hour Ago**

"Ron!" Hermione Granger giggled and pushed Ron Weasley off of her, who had had his arm wrapped around her waist while tickling her neck with the feathered end of his quill. "Stop! I have to get some work done."

"Oh, come of it, Hermione," Ron said, now using his wand to levitate the quill so that it tickled the other side of Hermione's neck, causing an internal struggle for her as she determined whether to swipe the quill away or Ron. "We all know that you're going to get Outstandings on all of your N.E.W.T.s. You don't need to study anymore. Let's go upstairs and have some fun," Ron added hopefully.

Hermione blushed scarlet and grabbed the quill from the air, and throwing it at Ron's face, she said. "Ronald Weasley, you may not care about these tests, but I do, and I will not let you distract me." Hermione's voice was stern, but there was the trace of a smile on her face and her eyes were twinkling.

"All right, Ron, enough," Harry Potter said. He was sitting very close to a mop of fierce red hair that belonged to Ginny Weasley. She was turned around in her seat at the table she occupied with Ron, Hermione, and Harry talking to some other Gryffindor sixth years. Harry's head was in his hands as he spoke. "Look, it was cute an hour ago, but I'm exhausted, and I've gotten no work done because all I can concentrate on his Hermione scolding you every five minutes."

The blush that crept up Ron's face now matched Hermione's when he said, "Sorry, mate, I didn't realize."

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione muttered bashfully.

Harry chuckled a little and lifted his head from his hands. "It's okay. Young love," he said glancing at Ginny. "I get it, it's just… you know… take it easy," he said with a shrug. "I didn't mean to snap. I'm just tired of all this work the teachers are assigning us, and I feel like I keep working but I don't even make a dent in everything I have to do. It's frustrating," he said with an agitated slap on the table. This caused Ginny to whip around with apologies to the people she was talking to.

"Harry?" she said, placing a soft hand on his thigh. "Is everything okay?" She was smiling and looking at him lovingly.

"Just tired," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on," Ginny said. She picked up his books and started putting his things away into his schoolbag. "You've done enough work for tonight. You should get some rest." Without arguing, Harry stood up and took his bag from Ginny. He said a quick and quiet goodnight to Ron and Hermione, and, taking Ginny's hand, he walked up to his dormitory as per her request.

"He hasn't been getting much sleep," Ron said after Harry and Ginny were out of earshot. "I told Ginny. Every time I wake up in the night to get a drink of water or something, I see him standing by the window looking out at the Forbidden Forest. And when he does sleep, I'll see him tossing and turning and he'll wake up with a start or covered in sweat." Hermione sighed and shook her head knowingly. The war had been over for several months, and while they were all making a slow but steady recovery, Harry's sojourn into the Forbidden Forest over the summer stayed with him. Hermione could not blame him. If she had been forced to walk to her death while the specters of her dead family stood around her trying to help her through it, she did not think she would get over it quickly.

"He'll be fine," she said, looking up the stairs that led to the dormitories. And although she tried to sound confident, the worry etched across her face betrayed her emotions.

"Well," said Ron, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist once again. "What do you say we take a break from studying—" Hermione snorted. "Okay, _you_ take a break from studying, and we go find an abandoned classroom?" Hermione pushed Ron's arm off of her and shook her head. But when she started gathering up her things, Ron looked hopeful again.

"Let me go put this upstairs, and I'll be back down in a minute," she said as a seductive smile crept across her face. It took all of Ron's power not to shove his fists into the air in triumph.


	2. Did You Find a Treat, My Sweet?

**Chapter 2: Did You Find a Treat, My Sweet?**

"Shhh! Ron, slow down—we're making too much noise. We cannot get caught! It's after hours!" Hermione said in an urgent whisper. She was starting to regret agreeing to going out with Ron after hours when they were sure to get caught. Ron laughed and held Hermione's hand tighter as he pulled her down a long corridor.

Without warning, Ron jerked sharply to the left, pulling Hermione into the promised abandoned classroom. When the door shut with a snap, the lock slid into place, and Hermione felt Ron's lips find hers in the dark, all of her worries seemed to slip away. The classroom was dark, but they did not need light as they were using their hands to do all of the searching. Hermione was out of breath from running down corridors and broke apart from the kiss for just a moment, allowing both to catch their breath.

Hermione found Ron's face with her hands and pulled his head down so that their foreheads were resting against each other. As she rubbed her thumbs lightly on his cheeks, Ron's hands moved from Hermione's waist around to her backside. He pulled her sharply to him and Hermione let out a small yelp. He took his forehead off of hers and moved his mouth to her ear. At this, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," he whispered before nibbling lightly on her ear. Hermione shivered at the words and at the feeling of his soft nips at her ear that then moved to her neck. She said nothing in return, but instead responded by finding his mouth with hers and kissing him tenderly.

The kiss continued tenderly for a moment as their lips brushed lightly against each other, but as Ron pulled Hermione closer to him, they each began to devour each other's lips more hungrily. When Ron brushed his tongue across Hermione's lips, she opened her mouth to allow him full entrance into her mouth. Hermione moaned softly when she felt Ron's tongue massage the inside of her mouth. Taking over slightly, Hermione pushed Ron backwards until he fell into a nearby chair after making some light commotion although their eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness.

As it was a Sunday evening, Hermione was wearing Muggle street clothes, and she smiled as she pulled the shirt she was wearing over her head before straddling Ron on the chair he was now occupying. He growled before devouring her mouth once again. Ron's hands found their familiar spot on Hermione's backside as she began to grind slowly on top of Ron while their tongues twisted around each other throughout their intense lip lock. Ron gasped as Hermione bit his bottom lip, and he pulled her hard against him, causing her to smile into his mouth. One of Hermione's arms was around Ron's neck while her other hand was slipping further down Ron's body. Right before her hand was about to slip inside Ron's trousers, she stopped suddenly.

"Hermione," Ron groaned, not even attempting to hide his disappointment.

Hermione slapped a hand over his mouth and moved a finger to her own mouth, advising him to stay silent. A moment later, Ron became rigid when he heard the noise that was undoubtedly the reason for Hermione's sudden anxiety.

Mrs. Norris meowed again followed by the sound of footsteps growing closer. _Did you lock the door?_ Hermione mouthed to Ron. _Yes!_ He responded with wide eyes. Hermione was thankful, but she was not completely relieved. Although she knew that a simple _Alohamora_ could unlock it, she also knew that the man who was approaching was a Squib and would have no ability to unlock the door without a key. She hoped that he did not have the key to this particular door. She wanted to reach down and put her shirt back on, but she didn't dare move for fear of making even the slightest noise.

Hermione's brow furrowed when she heard a very light smacking noise outside the door of the classroom they were occupying. Straining her ears she then heard the clear voice of Argus Filch, the caretaker.

"Did you find a treat, my sweet? A midnight snack?" Realization dawned on Hermione. The smacking noise she had heard was Mrs. Norris snacking on what was likely a mouse she caught or found already dead. She smiled at Ron and mouthed, _A mouse._ After another minute, they each heard the footsteps of Filch receding, and Hermione finally let out a much needed sigh of relief.

Hermione looked at Ron as the fear slipped off his face. Noting the position they were still in, she began to laugh and she put her forehead against Ron's as he laughed as well.

After a moment, she said, "We should probably head back." Ron groaned but nodded in agreement. Hermione slipped her shirt back on, and after Ron poked his head out of the door making sure the coast was clear, he took Hermione's hand and they walked back to Gryffindor tower without incident.

When they were safely in the common room Hermione walked over to the bottom of the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories and pulled Ron to her. She kissed him gently before bidding him goodnight.

"Hey," he said quietly as he watched her walk up the stairs. She turned around a smiled. "I love you," he said. Again without responding, she blew him a kiss and continued on upstairs. He smiled to himself and then went towards the boys' dormitories, knowing he would have a peaceful sleep and hoping the same for the friend he would soon see.


	3. Practice, Practice, Practice!

**Chapter 3: Practice, Practice, Practice!**

The next morning, Draco Malfoy yawned widely before sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes hard. He stalked to the bathroom and with his eyes still closed, he ran the water to the shower before stepping in and allowing the water to cascade down his back. He stood with on hand on the wall and the other using a bar of soap to clean himself off.

In the months since the war, Draco's world had changed significantly. His father had moved to the family's chateau in Northern France at the request of his mother. She said she could not look at him for a while, and she also said he could use the brisk Northern air. Without any resistance, Lucius Malfoy had packed one bag and left the following day. His mother seemed significantly, genuinely happier with the absence of his father, and Draco thought it had to do with the fact that his father was a constant reminder of the war that had lost them so much, and his mother could not bear it.

At school, things were different for Draco as well. His friend—if you could call him that—Vincent Crabbe had died in the war, and his other friend, Gregory Goyle, had not returned to school this year. This caused Draco to seek out a new group of friends—friends that his mother hoped would be better than the sort he had previously spent time with. For the most part, Draco now kept to himself, although he did still hold acquaintance with many of his fellow Slytherins. For the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, Draco had surprised nearly everyone by spending a significant amount of time in Madame Puddifoot's with a very pretty sixth year Ravenclaw girl. Although she was indeed a pureblood witch, Draco had never been known to fraternize outside of his house. Nothing came of the relationship, however, because she had seemed to bore him.

The war had changed Draco. He had seen things a man his age, or any age, should never have to see. He was hardened and matured, and things he used to care about no longer mattered to him. He did not talk much, and being around too many people made him irritated and on edge. As for his relationship with the trio, he tried not to think too much about any of them. He knew that he owed a debt to Harry for saving his life in the Room of Requirement, and although he did not want to "repay" this debt, he figured he could at least lay off of all them for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. Each of them were surprised at Draco's complete absence of snide remarks in their direction during the first class of the year with Gryffindors and Slytherins, which happened to be a double Charms class. He steered clear of them. Draco had made many mistakes in his life, and he was trying to make his new chance at life a good, albeit somewhat lonely, one.

Draco turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower, then summoning a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He brushed his teeth and stared back at his reflection blankly. After using a quick drying spell on his blond hair and throwing on his school uniform, he grabbed his schoolbag and walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast without even a second glance around the room.

When he entered the Great Hall he walked purposefully in the direction of the Slytherin table. He glanced over at the Gryffindor table and when his eyes made contact with bright green ones, he nodded curtly at Harry Potter before taking a seat next to a group of Slytherins who began to recount to him an event from the previous weekend.

After eating a quick breakfast and making a bit of small talk with a few of his classmates, Draco walked alone to his first class of the week—double Charms with the Gryffindors. Professor Flitwick had assigned the class Disillusionment Charms, which they were now practicing in pairs. Draco had not listened fully to Flitwick's instructions and was now suffering the consequences as his partner, a fellow Slytherin, continued to sigh in frustration as Draco tapped her head continuously with the tip of his wand, attempting to disillusion her. He was invariably reminded of Hermione Granger each time she sighed exasperatedly and demonstrated how it was done properly.

At the thought of Hermione, Draco glanced over at the Gryffindors and saw Hermione paired up with Ron. She had already successfully disillusioned him, not to the surprise of anyone, and he was now trying to tickle her, taking advantage of the fact that she could not see exactly where his hands were. Draco's smile was virtually unnoticeable as he looked at them with slight amusement. He stared at Hermione's flowing, curly hair that had changed so much since he had first met her years ago. He cocked his head slightly to the side and squinted just a little bit, as if he was seeing Hermione for the first time.

Suddenly, Draco was brought back to reality as his partner rapped him hard on the head with her wand, and it felt like someone was slowly pouring a cold glass of water on the top of his head.

"Well done, Miss Blackturn," Flitwick said as he strode past them, nodding in approval. Draco glanced down at his hand and observed that he was not totally invisible, but he rather looked somewhat like a chameleon, blending in with his surroundings. Amelia Blackturn smiled smugly and thanked the Charms professor.

"Okay, class," Flitwick said with a clap. "That's all for today. We will continue this at our next lesson. As homework, practice, practice, practice!"

Draco gathered up his things and left the room with the rest of his classmates. Although the Slytherins and the Gryffindors had a free period right now, instead of heading out on the grounds and playing in the snow or to the warmth in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room, Draco walked in the direction of the library, knowing that he needed much more practice than his cohorts with the charm they had just learned.

After he set his stuff down and opened his charms book, a few minutes had passed before he heard someone at a table a few in front of him set her stuff down. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and saw Hermione quickly look away when he nearly meet her gaze. Realizing how desperate he was for help, without thinking, he stood up and walked toward Hermione, whose back was now to him. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Draco tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"Dr—Malfoy," she stuttered. "Yes?"

He stared deep into her mahogany eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Er—I—erm," he could not quite say the words he needed to say. Deciding to just get it over with, he said, "I need your help."

"Oh?" she said. She looked curious and confused.

"Well, I wasn't really paying attention in class today, and I missed the explanation on how exactly to do the Disillusionment Charm," he said quickly.

"Oh," she said again. "I think I can help with that. Shall I join you?" she said as she nodded toward the table he had been occupying.

"I'll come to you," he said. He was extremely thankful despite who he was asking for help. For one, he simply did not have time to spare to ask anyone else for help as he had so much other work on his plate as most of the seventh years did. Draco walked back over to his table and after gathering up all his things, he joined Hermione at her table. Second of all, although he was still incredibly hesitant about this, he did not think he could endure the taunts of any of the Slytherins if he asked for their help.

"Let's see here," Hermione said as she opened her charms book. It did not take Draco as much time as he had expected to learn and master the charm. When they finished and he took the charm off of Hermione, she asked if there was anything else she could help him with. He told her there was not anything presently, but that he would take her up on the offer if he needed it. She smiled warmly and nodded. He moved to gather his things and move back to his table when Hermione said, "Nonsense. The free period will be over shortly. There's no use moving." She began reading one of the many books stacked in front of her, while Draco gave her a puzzled look. He wondered many things. He wondered why she had helped him and why she was being so kind to him. He expected the war had changed her as well, but he did not think that would mean that she would forget all of the awful things he had said and done to her in years past. He also wondered if he should stay or go and he wondered above all why he was overcome by the scent that she seemed to be radiating.

When the free period was up, Draco was due in Astronomy with the rest of the Slytherins, while Hermione was due in Muggle Studies.

"See you, then," Hermione said as she finished packing up her things and prepared to leave.

"Yeah," Draco said. "See you."

When she was about to exit the library, Draco called out, "Hey, Granger," when she looked back, he said, "Thanks," with a small smile.

For the rest of the day, Hermione considered her encounter with Draco and she was extremely puzzled by it. She had studied him as he looked down at one of his school books with a furrowed brow, and she wondered about him. The old Draco Malfoy would have never asked for her help and he certainly would not have stuck around after he got what he wanted. But this new Draco… She didn't even know what to think. Deciding she would think about it no further as she sat picking at her dinner, she left the Great Hall and headed back to Gryffindor tower with Ron.


	4. An Olive Branch, I Guess

**Chapter 4: An Olive Branch, I Guess**

Hermione sighed as she unpacked the things from her bag and placed them neatly on the library table that she had decided to occupy. It had been two days since she had given aid to Draco Malfoy in the library, but since then, the library felt weird to her—tainted with the memory of her sharing a table with the man who had been her enemy not very long ago. Unconsciously, she scanned the library for any trace of Malfoy. She did not know if she was hoping that he would be there or that he would not. It seemed to her nothing more than a curiosity. Malfoy had become an enigma to her—much more quiet in class and never any cutting remarks directed at her, Harry, Ron, or anyone for that matter. He had changed, and it did not go unnoticed.

As she scanned the library quickly, she noticed that there seemed to be only one other person in the library that evening. Whoever the items belonged to was not currently present, however, and Hermione surmised that she or he was probably searching for books just as she was about to do. In Potions that afternoon, Professor Slughorn had assigned a three foot long essay on Poisons. Each student had been assigned a poison, and they were to give details about its history, ingredients, effects, and antidotes. Hermione rolled her head around in an effort to relax herself before setting off to the bookshelves, her booklist in hand.

Very soon, Hermione had collected several books and was now in the midst of a somewhat difficult balancing act. When she rounded the corner of one of the shelves, her elbow hit the edge of the shelf, causing her to lose her grip and gasp out in pain as all her books came toppling out of her arms.

"Let me help you," Hermione heard a man's voice say. She looked up from the floor and saw Malfoy move toward her. When he squatted before her and helped her gather up her books, she caught a whiff of his scent and she breathed in deeply without noticing it. He had the distinct smell of soap, evergreen, and aftershave, and she was intoxicated by it.

Draco glanced up at her and smiled the very smallest of smiles. "You shouldn't be trying to carry so many books," he said. "Slughorn's essay?" he asked as she began to gather up the books with his aid. Her stack shrunk significantly due to the fact that Draco had taken more than half of the books she had been carrying moments ago.

"Yeah," she said, returning his small smile. "Three feet, can you believe that?" As they walked back to Hermione's table, they chatted quietly about all of the work the professors had been assigning this year and when they reached her table, she thanked him as he turned to go. After he assured her that it was nothing, Hermione watched him walk back to the table she had noticed was occupied before and sit with his back to her. She stared at him for a few seconds before she resolutely packed up her things and walked over to him.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked. She didn't know what made her do it. Perhaps it was because he had helped her with her books, or perhaps it was because of the pleasant time they had had in the library a few days earlier. Even deeper, maybe it was because she believed in second chances, and maybe she wanted to turn over a new leaf with Draco now that the war was over.

Draco was startled. He had to admit that he had followed Hermione with curiosity while she was in the bookshelves. He had spotted her curly hair and his curiosity got the best of him. He had stayed a few shelves back, simply watching her pick out books, her brow creased in concentration. Sure, he had changed, but he didn't know if he was ready to become best mates with Hermione Granger, a girl who had been one of his sworn enemies since he stepped off the Hogwarts Express almost seven years ago.

Hermione noticed a flash in his gray eyes that reminded her of the old Draco. She thought for a moment that he might say or do something cruel, and when he spoke, she was slightly nervous.

"If that's what you wish," was all he said. When he saw her hesitation, he immediately regretted what he had said and how he'd said it. Maybe he wasn't ready to become friends with Hermione, but she had helped him the other day. He decided that because of that, she could sit with him today, but there would be no more of it after this evening. "I mean, yeah," he said. "Sit."

Hermione set her stuff down, almost regretting her decision to join Draco. For a while, they each read their respective books in silence. Occasionally, Hermione would look up in his direction just to see what he was doing. Each time, Draco could feel Hermione's eyes on him, but he kept his eyes focused on his work. After quite a while, Hermione spoke.

"What are you working on?" she said, nodding toward the book he was reading.

"Transfiguration," he responded. He said nothing else.

Still trying to be friendly and make conversation, Hermione spoke again, "Oh, are you working on Conjuring Spells?" she asked. She had noticed Draco absently flicking his wand a few minutes ago.

"Yeah," he said. He was going to leave it at that, but he said, "They're difficult, you know? McGonagall makes them look so easy."

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, she has a tendency to do that." For a few more minutes, they talked about Conjuring Spells, and then they moved on to talking about other classes and the work they were doing in those. This conversation eventually led to a discussion about what to do post-Hogwarts.

"Well, I don't know, I'd like to do something that involves travel," Hermione was saying. "But you know, I might want to start a family, and I don't know what Ron wants to do so that might make it difficult—"

"Ron?" Draco cut her off. "Why would it matter what he wants to do?"

"Well, um, we're… together—"

"And you plan on being together for a long time?" Draco asked. He was genuinely curious. "As in, forever?"

Hermione smiled and laughed nervously. "Well, yes, I suppose so." She felt odd. Here she was, sitting in the library, sharing a table with a man that until a few days ago had been the enemy of her, Harry, and Ron, and now she was talking to him about the future of her relationship with Ron. She felt as if there was some catch, but she did not know what it was.

"So, you're going to put aside your dreams?" he asked. He, too, was aware of the strangeness of this conversation, but that did not stop him from pressing on.

Hermione stopped smiling and looked down at her hands. "Well, it's complicated. I care about Ron, and I want to be with him and I want to h-have a family with him. I don't want some silly fantasy of traveling the world to stop me from being happy."

"But wouldn't traveling make you happy? Wouldn't living your life make you happy?" Draco asked.

"Ron would be my life, and look," she said quickly, looking up at him. "You don't know me, Malfoy, so don't pretend like you know what would make me happy."

At that, Draco raised his eyebrows and looked down at his books again. An awkward silence fell over them, but this time, Draco was the one to break it.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he said with a shrug as he met her eyes.

Hermione scoffed. "Trust me, you've offended me so much over the years," she said before thinking. "This conversation is incredibly tame compared to being called a Mudblood."

Draco said nothing, and neither did Hermione. She was not going to apologize for what she said and neither was he. Both had spoken the truth and they each knew it. Hermione went back to her reading just as Draco had done, but she could no longer concentrate. She knew Draco was right, but she didn't want to admit it. It was not as if Ron was inhibiting her happiness, but she had just ended up in a committed relationship early in her life with a man who was grounded and intent on having a family as loving and rooted as his own. Draco was also not concentrating on his work, but he was also not concentrating on Hermione's words either. Just as everything else that dealt with the past, he attempted to push it to the deep into the recesses of his mind. Instead, Draco was focused on a small strand of Hermione's hair that had fallen out of the messy ponytail she had pulled her hair into a short while ago and was now grazing Hermione's cheek. His fingers twitched as he held back the urge to tuck the stray piece behind her ear.

After another moment of staring at Hermione's hair, he decided he needed a moment away from this woman who seemed to have him in a trance. He feigned getting another book and, picking up an old book list—the contents of which were already on his table—he walked to the bookshelves without saying anything. Hermione watched Draco leave and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Draco was pacing through the shelves barely gazing at the books that lined them when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly and turned around to face Hermione. Hermione had never really realized how much taller Draco was than her until she was standing so close to him. He was not quite a head taller, but he did have several inches on her.

"You don't know me," she said quietly.

"You're right." He took a step closer to her so that less than a foot remained between them.

She stared into his eyes for a long moment before saying, "Why did you ask me to help you the other day?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Because I needed help, you were there, and…"

"And what?" she said.

"An olive branch, I guess," he said. He took another step closer to her, which caused her to take a step back so that her back was now against one of the shelves. Knowing she could go no further, Draco inched a bit closer.

"I think I still hate you," Hermione said.

Draco now closed the space between them so that they were as close as they could possibly be without touching. Hermione could feel his breath on her face. When he reached his hand up, Hermione instinctively put up a hand to block him. He used his other hand to grab her wrist, and she struggled for just a moment until she felt the soft brush of his fingertips on her face as he moved a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. As he leaned in, Hermione tilted her head up to meet him. His hand was still wrapped around her wrist and his other hand was now clutching the shelf directly behind Hermione's head. Draco stopped leaning in without warning. She was tempted to lunge and close the space between them, but something in her head told her to wait. Draco turned his head and placed his mouth by her ear. "Same," he whispered. Hermione shivered at the feeling of his breath on her ear and trailing down her neck. When she felt his lips brushed against her ear she exhaled deeply just as a sudden image of Ron's smiling face came into her mind. Without allowing another moment to pass, Hermione pushed Draco away from her and walked to their table without saying anything.

When she got back to the table, Hermione packed up all of her things and silently fumed to herself. She could not believe how close she had just come to kissing Draco Malfoy. Not only had he been cruel to her for years, but she also had a boyfriend. She felt a presence behind her, and she desperately avoided Draco's eye contact when he sat down at the table. He did not say anything, but instead watched her pack up. She left without a word.


	5. Hermione Knew It Was Wrong

**Chapter 5: Hermione Knew It Was Wrong**

The following day, Hermione walked into the Magical Ethics classroom and saw a familiar face. Draco Malfoy gave her a barely noticeable nod of acknowledgement as Hermione entered the classroom and took her seat near the front. She did not return any sign of acknowledgement. Last night, Hermione had sat in the common room with Harry, Ginny, and Ron, trying to seem as if nothing was up, but images of Draco brushing the hair off of her fact kept surfacing in her mind. She could smell him and feel his hand on her face that had seemed to ignite a fire on her cheek. Trying to remove these thoughts from her mind, Hermione took out her parchment and quill and marked the date at the top of the page in preparation to take notes.

Draco stared at the back of Hermione's head as images of the evening before raced through his mind. He did not know what had come over him, but all that night, he had dreams of hovering over Hermione and claiming her. That morning, he woke up to an uncomfortable stiffness under his sheets, and he subsequently relieved himself in the lavatory with the image of Hermione plastered to the back of his closed eyelids.

The handsome, middle aged professor who taught the class, Professor Youngsworth, walked in briskly a few minutes later and said, "Put away your notes. Today, we will be having a discussion. Slightly startled, Hermione put her parchment and quill back into her bag and folded her hands neatly across her desk as many of her classmates did the same.

"Unforgivable Curses," Professor Youngsworth began. "We know all about them. We've read about them in the papers for the past several years. Maybe a few of you even experienced them in the last year," he said grimly. "Each of us is aware that these curses seemed to be the calling card of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers during his rise to power." The professor glanced around the room before saying, "Who can name the three Unforgivable Curses?" Immediately, Hermione's hand rose into the air.

"Miss Granger."

"There's the Imperius Curse, which gives the caster control over the receiver's mind; the Cruciatus Curse, or the torture curse; and lastly," she paused for a moment. "Avada Kedavra—the killing curse.

"Very good—five points to Gryffindor," Youngsworth said, nodding in approval. For the next several minutes, Youngsworth went in depth about the history of each of the curses, while assuring them that this information was in the book and did not need to be taken down. He discussed the rise of the usage of these curses which had begun around fifty years ago. Although Lord Voldemort had been gone for months, his terrorization and the fear he instilled in the wizarding world lived on. She could see several students visibly shiver with fear as Youngsworth told them about the many cases of the use of each of these curses. As Hermione had predicted, he discussed Harry and how he was the only known survivor of the killing curse.

"There is another side to this coin, however," Youngsworth eventually said. "I'm sure many of you are wondering how these curses relate to magical ethics, as I'm sure many of you are saying to yourselves that these curses are obviously unethical." Youngsworth surveyed the classroom as he said, "But are they?" He paused for dramatic effect, and Hermione was certain that she could have heard a pin drop in the classroom. "The topic of our discussion today will be whether or not each of you believes that a situation may arise where any of these curses could be not only acceptable, but ethical."

Youngsworth called on many students who had insights on the ethics of the Imperius Curse. Many cited free will as an opposition, and others cited personal stories about family or friends they had known that had been under the curse and what effect it had had on them. Those who were not necessarily opposed—though not entirely in favor—were offering suggestions about why a law enforcement official might need to use the curse in order to lead them toward needed information. No one believed (or at least voiced their belief) that it should be used under any "normal" circumstances. When they discussed the Cruciatus Curse, no student voiced their support for it. Many personal stories were told and many instances of abuse of power and the aftermath of the curse were discussed. One student cited a muggle government that used torture tactics on prisoners of war and when many students displayed their disgust, the student said that we could not in good conscience support magical torture if we were appalled by muggle torture. When the time came to discuss the killing curse, silence fell across the room for several seconds. Hermione noticed that Draco had not spoken throughout the entire discussion.

"This is the question that many generations of witches, wizards, _and_ muggles have tried to answer," Youngsworth was saying. "Is killing _ever_ ethical?"

The students in the classroom seemed to be mulling this question over, and several looked to their neighbors. After a few more seconds of silence, Hermione spoke. "Er—I don't—No, I don't think killing is ever ethical." Knowing that Hermione was best friends with Harry Potter, every student gave her their undivided attention. "Everyone has the right to live unless they themselves choose otherwise. An innocent person certainly does not deserve death and—"

"But what if that person isn't innocent?" Hermione turned slowly in her chair, recognizing the voice that was speaking.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Youngsworth inquired. "Do you have something to add?"

"I…" Draco looked at Hermione before addressing the rest of the class. "I've se—heard about some despicable people. I mean, some of the Dark Lord's followers were truly evil people. They tortured and killed muggleborn witches and wizards and anyone who did not see eye to eye with them. These people make me sick, and…" he looked like he was considering his next statement. "I think killing people like that is not only ethical, but it is for the betterment of society."

Before Youngsworth could address Draco, Hermione spoke up again. "That's what Azkaban is for. We have prisons for people like that. Two wrongs don't make a right," she said shaking her head. "Harry Potter is my best friend," at the mention of his name, everyone was focused on Hermione once again. "and both of his parents were killed. I've seen the toll that their deaths and deaths of many of his close family and friends have taken on him and many of the other people in my life. Killing those who kill and torture others sends the wrong message. It says, 'we don't want you to kill, so we'll just kill you.' _That_ is unethical," she finished.

"Is it not unethical to allow disgusting human beings to continue to walk the earth?" Draco responded. Youngsworth seemed to be enjoying the volley between his two students. "If the person who had killed Potter's parents had been killed before—"

"Voldemort killed his parents," Hermione said. She was trembling with anger.

"Don't you think this world would have been a better place if someone had killed the Dark Lord?" Draco asked after regaining his composure.

"Sure, but it only would have been a matter of time before some other pureblood maniac took up the reigns," Hermione said venomously.

"I don't think so," Draco said calmly. "He was their motivation. There had always been pureblood 'maniacs' around." He put "maniacs" in air quotes. "But they didn't mobilize to the point they did until the rise of the Dark Lord. If he had been killed early on, it may not have escalated to the point that it did."

"Well, then maybe we should have just killed all the Death Eaters!" Hermione said somewhat loudly. "Voldemort wouldn't have had half of his power if he hadn't had support, so maybe we should have just killed them all. The Death Eaters may have been _despicable_," she put a strong emphasis on the last word, "but despite their disgusting ideology and all of the terrible things they did, they didn't deserve to be killed. They have families—daughters, _sons_—"

"Okay!" Youngsworth interrupted. "Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy have both made some excellent points, and I want to give everyone a chance to weigh in. On my desk next week, I would like a foot on whichever side you choose. Is killing ever ethical?" Youngsworth clapped his hands together with a smile. "Everyone, have a great day," he said, dismissing them.

Hermione was fuming. She gathered her books into her hands, wrapped her bag around her and quickly left the classroom, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. She was walking down the halls blindly, rage covering her eyes. She was so intent on getting as far away from Draco Malfoy as she could that she hardly noticed when a hand wrapped itself around her upper arm and pulled her into an empty corridor. When Hermione realized it was Malfoy, she launched into a tirade.

"Who do you think you are? What are you playing at?" She was pointing a finger in his face, while her other hand was holding her books tightly to her chest. "You can't just pull me over here like you own me, _especially_ after everything you just said in there. I thought you had changed, Malfoy, I really did. But you're the same as you always were—a pathetic, horrible, son of a Death—"

Suddenly, all of the books that Hermione had been holding went crashing to the floor. Without warning, Draco had cupped Hermione's face into his hands and kissed her hard on the mouth. When the books fell, Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, pulling him closer to her. He turned them around and pushed Hermione against the wall, pressing his body against her. Draco was sucking gently on her upper lip when Hermione opened her mouth and allowed Draco's tongue to enter smoothly. He pulled her hips against him as he kissed her ferociously. He did not know what had come over him, and he did not know what he was doing. All he knew is that he didn't want to stop.

It was wrong. Hermione knew it was wrong. But when Draco pulled her hips into him, she moaned involuntarily, and begged him in her mind not to stop. With one swift movement, Draco hitched Hermione up against the wall, and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist. She was out of breath, her head was spinning, but the feeling of Draco's tongue searching the inside of her mouth caused all rational thought to escape from her mind. Draco's mouth moved from Hermione's and moved to her neck. She sighed and buried her face into Draco's hair when she felt his tongue slide softly from just below her ear down to her collarbone. He bit her collarbone lightly causing Hermione to moan quietly again. When she felt Draco cup his hand over her breast, she knew she had to stop this before it went any further.

"Stop," she said. When he continued to massage her breast in his hand, she sighed and put her head against the wall before she dropped her legs from around his waist, stood on the floor once again and pushed him away from her. "Stop."

Draco was dying inside. Ever since this morning he had wanted Hermione in this compromising position, and he knew that she wanted it, too. He looked at her and placed both his hands on opposite sides of Hermione's head on the wall behind her, but she ducked under his arms and gathered up her things. Just as she was about to leave, he called after her.

"Go on a date with me."

"What?" she said, whipping her head around and facing him. "Dra—Malfoy—"

"Come on," he said, taking a step toward her, eliciting a step back from her. "Are you staying here for the winter holidays?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then go on a date with me then. What harm can it do? Your friends won't be here, because I'm guessing that you're staying behind to get work done that you wouldn't be able to get done with them around." He was staring at her swollen lips when he spoke. He had to have her. "You'll be alone, I'll be alone—"

"Malfoy, I have a boyfriend," Hermione said with a laugh. "I don't think it would be appropriate."

"Having a boyfriend didn't stop you from doing what you just did," he said with a smirk.

"That was a mistake—a lapse in judgment, and I can assure you that it won't happen again," she said, turning to go.

"I bet you it will," he said quickly. When she looked back at him he had a mischievous grin on his face. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked.

"Excuse me?" she said, although she knew full well what he had just said.

"You heard me," Draco said walking toward her. Before she could escape, he had her pinned against the wall again and his mouth was by her ear. "You will kiss me again," he said. A shiver ran through her entire body. "It won't be long." He put his face close to hers as she closed her eyes and he gently brushed his lips against hers, causing her to open her mouth and move her mouth toward his. When she felt nothing else, she opened her eyes. He was gone.


	6. I Probably Shouldn't Put It In Writing

**Chapter 6: I Probably Shouldn't Put It In Writing**

The next morning, Draco woke up feeling happier than he had felt in months. He knew the change had come from his encounters with Hermione, but he never expected that she would have this large of an effect on him. Yesterday, when he had asked her on a date, he had been just as surprised as she was. Although Draco had changed a great deal over the last several months, he was still not the kind of man who went on dates, and he was certainly not the one doing the initiating. Usually, girls like Pansy Parkinson simply came to him, and there was not much "dating" involved; he got what he wanted the easy way. When he had brushed his lips against Hermione's ear a few days ago in the library and felt a familiar sensation in his nether regions, he imagined that Hermione would be just another conquest—a way to get out of the rut he had been in for so long. He felt like his attitude was changing, but he was determined to keep it casual. Draco would go on a date with her, and he knew that she would succumb to his desires. He had to have her plump lips entangled around his own, her thick hair clenched into his fists, and her slender legs wrapped around his waist as he satisfied his deep desires. He didn't know why he wanted Hermione, but he knew he did, and now he would stop at nothing to get her.

In that moment, Draco devised a plan to get Hermione to accept his invitation. His spirits were so high and he could not remove the grin that had permanently plastered itself across his face. Swinging his legs over his bed, Draco walked over to his schoolbag and pulled out a fairly small piece of parchment, a quill and his Potions book. He sat down on his bed once again with his legs crossed and, using the Potions book as support, scrolled a note across the parchment. The grin that was on his face grew wider by the second as he wrote the note. After he dashed his signature across the bottom of the page, he folded the parchment neatly and without dressing into proper clothes, left his dormitory and headed toward the owlery to find his beautiful tawny owl, Crysanth.

Draco exited Slytherin house at a quick pace and broke into a run after a few seconds. He wanted to make sure that his owl made the morning post.

Almost as soon as Draco reached the owlery, Hermione Granger opened her eyes slowly and stared at the canopy above her for several minutes before she pulled herself out of bed. Today was the last day of classes before the weekend, and her motivation had sunk to an all time low, especially after the events of the previous day. Guilt tore at her insides for what she had done with Draco yesterday afternoon, and while she was tempted to tell Ron, she decided against it for two main reasons. First of all, she thought it unfair to relieve her conscience by hurting Ron with something that meant nothing and had been largely innocent. _Innocent!_ Hermione thought to herself. _Bollocks_. This led to her second rationale. There was a curiosity deep within her that made her keep this secret from Ron. She knew that if she told Ron, all interaction between her and Draco would have to stop, but she didn't know if she was ready for that just yet. There was a part of her that wanted to see what might happen between her and Draco. _Stop._ Hermione thought to herself. _Nothing is going to _happen_ between me and Draco Malfoy._ _He was out of line on many counts yesterday, and I will have none of it. Not anymore._

As Hermione slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, she was uncertain, but she knew this much: Draco was wrong. She would not be kissing him again anytime soon. Or ever.

About an hour later, Hermione entered the Great Hall hand in hand with Ron. As they approached Harry and Ginny who were already sitting together at the Gryffindor table, Draco caught Hermione's eye. She had stolen a glance in his direction, and he was eyeing her hungrily. Hermione visibly blushed and looked down, and Draco smiled at the reaction he had caused. He knew this reaction would be nothing, however, compared to the reaction she would soon have.

Hermione was smiling and laughing as an animated Ginny told a story about Harry that Harry was constantly making corrections to just as the morning post arrived. She stopped listening to Ginny momentarily as the owl that brought the _Daily Prophet_ landed somewhat uncoordinatedly in front of her. She untied the newspaper from the owl's leg, gave it a small piece of the biscuit that was left on her plate, and patted it gently before it flew away. As Hermione was sprawling the paper out in front of her, another handsome owl landed gracefully in front of her and nipped her playfully before she untied the parchment from its leg. She did not recognize the owl but she laughed sweetly when the owl put out a wing and tickled her arm with its feathers. Before reading the letter, she fed the owl the rest of her biscuit in small pieces and nuzzled its wing before it flew away.

From across the room, Draco smiled as he watched Crysanth play with Hermione. He had advised the bird to be affectionate with the person he was delivering to, and the bird had done well. Draco made a mental note to reward her later. His heart began to race just a little bit as he looked at Hermione. He could not help but sigh with joy as he watched Hermione lavish her affections onto his owl. She looked so beautiful when she laughed at Crysanth and nuzzled her wing. Draco's heart sped up even faster as he watched Hermione unfold the note she held in her hand. He bit his bottom lip as he watched her reaction from afar. Although her back was to him, he noticed the change in her body language as she read the letter.

Hermione looked at the letter confusedly as she opened it. She had not recognized the bird, nor did she recognize the handwriting. She quickly moved her eyes to the bottom, and visibly stiffened when she saw the name scrawled at the bottom.

"Who's that from?" Ron asked, peering over her shoulder casually.

"No one," Hermione muttered. She tried to seem nonchalant, but she knew she was doing a poor job. Ron did not notice, however, and he went back to talking with Harry.

"I—erm—I have to go and get ready for class," said Hermione. She could not risk reading this letter in front of Ron. This fact was not lost on Hermione. If her relationship with Draco was "innocent," she would have had no problem reading this letter in front of Ron. _No._ Hermione thought. _Draco is his sworn enemy. Even if we were just friends, I would keep this a secret._ Hermione nearly kicked herself. _We_ are _just friends._

She leaned down to kiss Ron lightly on top of the head before waving goodbye to Harry and Ginny as she rushed out of the Great Hall quickly. Had anyone been paying close attention, they would have noticed a tall, platinum-haired boy following her route.

Hermione found a secluded corridor and leaned her back against the wall breathing quickly and somewhat heavily. Her breathing was not from the dash she had just made from the Great Hall, however. It was due to the letter she held tightly in her fist.

Draco watched Hermione but did not dare make his presence known. He only wanted to see her reaction to the letter.

Hermione opened the letter she held, and her eyes scanned the words slowly.

_Dear Hermione,_

_All last night, I laid awake thinking of you…_

Hermione rolled her eyes.

_I feel awful about what I said yesterday, but even more awful about the way I treated you after we left the classroom._

Hermione's expression softened a bit.

_You didn't deserve that, it was not respectful, and for that, I am sorry. Please meet me in the library this afternoon so I can beg for your forgiveness in person._

A smile crept across Hermione's face and she bit her bottom lip. Draco nearly moaned out loud. He wanted her mouth on his.

_I have a feeling that soon_ you _will be the one begging me for… Well, I probably shouldn't put it in writing._

The smile instantly slipped from her lips and she looked furious. If Draco had been standing closer, he might have noticed the twinkle in her eye.

_Go on a date with me and we'll find out._

_Yours,_

_Draco_

_P.S. I hoped you liked my owl, Crysanth. I know she loved you. She's a sucker for beautiful women… just like me._

Hermione looked like she wanted to scream. "Oh!" she said angrily. "I could kill him!" she whispered indignantly to herself. She turned stormily to leave the corridor, but she stopped for a moment and looked at the letter again. She looked beside herself with anger, but suddenly, she broke out into a fit of silent giggles. She read the P.S. to the letter a few more times before she tucked it safely away in her schoolbag. Making up her mind, she decided that she would not meet Draco in the library that afternoon. If he wanted to go on a date with her so badly, he would have to prove it.

During double Charms with the Gryffindors that afternoon, Draco practiced everything Hermione had taught him at the beginning of the week. Often, he would glance in her direction to see if she would acknowledge him or the good work he was doing thanks to her, but never once did he catch her eye. It seemed that she was resolutely ignoring him. Occasionally, however, when he would look in her direction, he would notice her smiling to herself, which would cause a grin to break across his face.

After Charms was a free period—the period in which Hermione and Draco had had their first encounter just a few days ago. With a smug air about him, Draco strutted to the library, images of pinning and taking Hermione against the bookshelves running rampant in his head. As the free period drew to a close, however, and Draco sat at a library table alone, he realized that she was not coming. _She liked the letter._ He thought to himself. He knew that she liked him and he knew that she wanted to be here, so why wasn't she? At the end of the period, Draco went to class, and as he sat through the droning lecture of his Astronomy professor, he hatched another plan.


	7. Brian McDougan

Just a quick note:

Parvati48: I truly do believe in the power of Hermione and Ron's relationship and their love for each other in the actual storyline, but I wrote this story because I think Hermione and Draco do have some interesting chemistry, and it would be fun to explore it further. Thanks for the comment and for everyone's comments!

**Chapter 7: Brian McDougan**

Every day for the next several days during the morning post, Hermione received a letter from the handsome tawny she had received a letter from at the end of the previous week. Each held Draco's pleas to go on a date with him. Although she feigned exasperation and annoyance, Draco always caught the hidden smile on her face.

At the end of that next week, Draco was sitting in front of a fire in the Slytherin common room going over his notes on Conjuring Spells, as McGonagall had announced that they would be tested on them preliminarily when they returned from the winter holidays which would begin the following day. Almost all of the other students were in their respective dormitories packing their things, so Draco was alone in the common room until a wide eyed third year boy came tumbling in the room, interrupting him.

"Dr—Draco?" the boy asked tentatively.

"Yes?" Draco asked, looking up from his notes. He didn't know this boy at all and he didn't know what the boy could possibly want from him.

"Er—I—I'm really s-sorry to interrupt you, b-but there's a girl outside." The boy was wringing his hands in anxiety. "She—she's not a Slytherin, so she can't get in—"

"Who is she?" Draco asked eagerly. He set his notes down and stood up. He towered over the boy.

"I—I don't know, but she—she's demanding to see you… says she won't leave until you come out." The boy finished in a hurried voice.

Draco took his place back on the comfortable armchair he had been occupying a moment ago.

"B-but…?" the boy began.

"Thanks, uh…?"

"Brian," the boy spluttered. "Brian McDougan."

"Thanks, Brian," Draco said with a smile. "You can go."

"But she's—"

"She can wait," Draco assured him. "She'll be fine… Go."

Brian did not waste another second. He dashed up to his dormitory without another look.

Draco was smirking to himself. _So, she got the last of my letters._ He thought happily to himself. Today, Draco had made Crysanth take an extra trip into the seventh year girls' dormitory in Gryffindor tower. The owl had dropped a large amount of letters that had sprawled across Hermione's lap as she had reclined on her bed reading her Transfiguration book. Two of the letters, she noticed, were bright red. Howlers. Before Hermione could even reach for them, they each rose into the air and burst into flames as they screeched—in a voice she recognized—one word each.

"DATE!"

"ME!"

She screamed out of fright and anger, and she began to read all of the other letters Draco had sent her. For the past several days, Draco had sent Hermione letters eliciting her to meet him in the library so they could talk. Each time, Hermione did not show, and each time, this strengthened Draco's resolve.

Each of the letters Hermione opened all had one sentence written hurriedly across them:

"Go on a date with me."

Hermione grunted with annoyance. Before she had thought the letters were somewhat charming, but now she was slightly enraged. The last letter, however, tipped her over the edge. It was a rather crude drawing done of a woman in a compromising position with a man standing behind her. Draco had labeled the people as himself and Hermione and he had enchanted the picture so that the man would thrust his pelvis against the woman's backside repeatedly. Hermione nearly screamed out loud when she saw it. At that, she leapt from her bed and marched through the castle in a tirade with one thought in her mind—causing as much harm to Draco Malfoy as possible.

Five minutes after Brian had retreated to his dormitory, Draco was still sitting in front of the fire. Deciding he had let Hermione wait long enough, he made his way slowly outside of the common room.

Even in her anger, Draco thought Hermione looked incredible. Her face was contorted with rage, and she stood with her hands on her hips, a crumpled piece a parchment in her right fist. Before she could start off on her rampage, Draco pulled her away from the common room and through the dungeons. After passing the Potions classroom, Draco found an empty classroom and pulled Hermione into it, making sure to cast silencing charms around the room. He didn't want anyone to hear Hermione screaming at him.

"WHAT," she started off, "THE BLOODY _HELL_ IS THIS?" Hermione yelled as she raised her fist into the air.

Draco laughed loudly and then stopped abruptly at the murderous look on Hermione's face. "It's… It's a drawing."

"Of WHAT exactly?" she asked. As she yelled, Draco could only stare at the lips he so desperately wanted to kiss.

Draco could not contain the smile that crept across his face. "Do I really need to explain it?"

Anger flashed in Hermione's eyes. "You are infuriating!" she growled. He did not say anything. Instead he just smiled at her. "Ugh!" she said shaking her fists at him. "What if someone had seen this?"

"I don't care," said Draco.

"Of course you don't!" Hermione said furiously. "I. Have. A. Boyfriend," she said, putting emphasis on each word. "You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"I care about you," he said.

She looked at him briefly as if he was a curious artifact at a museum that needed to be studied. Then, without a second thought, she was on him. Her tongue was roaming every part of his mouth, and Draco was moving his lips and tongue against her in an aggressive response. Draco had not been surprised by her sudden movements. No, in fact, he embraced them and responded back fully. He pulled her hips to him and leaned into her as her arms wrapped around his neck. The hardness beneath his belt began to grow and when she ground her hips against him, he let out a deep moan and pulled her tighter. She released his lips from her hold and began kissing his neck. When she moved down to his collarbone, Draco leaned forward. "I want you," he whispered in her ear. Something in Draco's voice seemed to bring Hermione back to life. Perhaps it was because she realized how badly she wanted him, too, or maybe the guilt got the best of her. Whatever it was, it caused her to back away from Draco instantly. His hands remained in the position she had just left them in.

"I can't do this," she said. She was shaking her head slowly. "Not here… Not like this." He only stared at her. "Look, if I go on a date with you, will you stop sending me letters?"

"No promises," he said slyly.

"Draco."

When she said his name, his heart nearly burst from his chest. He stuttered. "Y-yeah. If you go out with me, I'll stop sending them." As she turned to go, he called out after her. "What about Ron?"

She continued walking and as she opened the door and walked into the hallway, he heard her say, "I haven't figured that out yet."


	8. You'll Be Back Before You Know It

**Chapter 8: You'll Be Back Before You Know It**

The following morning, Hermione stood on the platform of Hogsmeade Station in a tight embrace with Ron. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands were tight around her waist.

"Are you sure you won't come to the Burrow?" he said as he nuzzled her neck. She laughed as his hair tickled her neck.

"I can't, Ron," she said sadly in the midst of her laughter. She was genuinely sad to be parting from him. "You know I can't get any work done there. I can barely get any work done _here_ when you're around."

He leaned up from her neck and smiled at her mischievously, but he didn't say anything. The train whistle blew, giving Ron the two minute warning. "I love you," he said.

Hermione responded by pressing her mouth against his. Without hesitancy, she opened her mouth to give his tongue entrance. Their tongues battled each other fiercely as she put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him closer. When she remembered that she was on a platform full of people in front of train full of wandering eyes, she pulled away.

"You'll be back before you know it." She put her head on his chest. He gave her one last quick and tender kiss on the lips before letting go of their embrace and heading toward the train. He boarded the train and found the compartment that Harry and Ginny were already occupying. He went to the window and found Hermione standing alone on the platform with her arms crossed in front of her in an attempt to block the cold. As the train began to chug, Hermione waved to the three of them, and when Ron mouthed _I love you,_ she blew him a kiss.

As she walked back to the castle, she realized how much she would miss Ron and how much she really did care about him. She wondered if it was possible to have such strong feelings for two men, and on her walk back to the castle she wondered about her feelings for Draco. Were they serious feelings—feelings that would make her give up her safe and secure relationship with Ron? Or were they nothing more than a curious infatuation—feelings that only arose due to her attraction to something new and forbidden? Hermione could not place them. She thought that if she had not been sad to see Ron off for the holidays, that would be a clue, but she was upset. She wondered about this as well. Was she sad to lose his love, affection, and company? Or was she sad to lose him like a child is sad to give up their blanket? She did not know if it was Ron she would miss or the security he provided. She would miss spending the holidays with Ron and everyone at the Burrow, but as she thought about the prospect of her "date" with Draco, her heart began to race and butterflies roamed wildly around her stomach. Was it more than just a forbidden attraction?

As she approached the castle, she was more confused than ever.


	9. That Old Broad's Mad At Me

Thanks to each person that left comments on my last chapters! I just have one thing to respond to: PurgatoryNymphe, don't worry about Ron's fate. Draco means no harm (at least not physically).

**Chapter 9: That Old Broad's Mad At Me**

Hermione sighed deeply as she turned over in her bed the next morning. She was the only person left in her dormitory and after she got dressed for the day and walked down to the common room, she realized that she might be one of the only Gryffindors left. She glanced around quickly before she climbed out of the portrait hole.

Hermione nearly screamed when she exited Gryffindor Tower. She had been so startled to see someone standing a few feet in front of her.

"Merlin, Draco!" she said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "You nearly scared me to death." She walked up to him and when he took his hand in hers, to her own surprise, she did not protest. She stared at the hand that had grabbed hers for a brief moment. She didn't know if he was just doing this to test her or if he just wanted to hold her hand. Either way, she was pleased with the warmth his hand provided her. As they walked down the corridor and away from the portrait hole, she heard a "Humph!" from the portrait of the Fat Lady that blocked the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"That old broad's mad at me," Draco said as they strolled down to breakfast together. He had been just as surprised as Hermione was that she willingly took his hand. He assumed it was because no one she knew had stayed behind for the holidays so she suddenly became braver, but he still thought she would have feigned a little bit of offense that he would dare take her hand. He certainly was not the hand-holding type, but her small, soft hand felt so good in his that he never wanted to let go.

Hermione laughed and Draco felt weak when he looked at her smile. He absolutely hated the affect that she had on him. "Why?" she asked.

"She was getting annoyed that I was standing outside for so long," Draco said with a shrug. _"Are you going to stand out here all day or are you going to come in?" _Draco said in a high pitched voice that sounded eerily like the Fat Lady's.

Hermione giggled madly at Draco's voice. Draco stared at her as she laughed, and he tried to get a grip on himself. _Take it easy, Draco_, he told himself. _She's just a girl._ "How long were standing out there?" she asked between giggles.

"Not long—an hour—"

"An hour?" Hermione exclaimed. "An hour is a long time! No wonder she was angry!" Hermione burst into a fresh fit of giggles.

"I wanted to make sure I didn't miss you before you went to breakfast," Draco said somewhat defensively. "I knew you would be alone since your flank all went home for the holidays. Next time I won't be such a gentleman."

At his tone, Hermione tried to stop giggling, but the smile remained plastered on her face. She knew that he was joking, but she sensed a bite behind his words. "It was nice of you," she said. She released his hand and gave him a friendly pat on the back while still chuckling to herself.

"Are you ready for our date tonight?" Draco said, fairly happy to change the subject. He wanted to take her hand again. His hand suddenly felt cold and lonely without her fingers intertwined in his.

"I didn't know it was tonight," she said, slightly taken aback.

"Well, it is," Draco said. "When do want me to come?" Draco cleared his throat. "Er—arrive?"

Hermione ignored him and walked on. They turned a corner and then entered the Great Hall together. Instead of the customary four house tables and one head table, just as was the tradition when the number of students who stayed behind was meager at best, there was only one long table in the middle of the room. Hermione searched for a familiar Gryffindor face, but when she found none, she sat down next to a seventh year Ravenclaw girl that she recognized from her Muggle Studies course. Draco took a seat diagonal from her next to a few Slytherins and began chatting with them casually. Occasionally, he would sneak a glance in Hermione's direction, and whenever she made eye contact with him, she would blush deeply and look down.

After breakfast, although Draco insisted on escorting Hermione back to Gryffindor tower, Hermione would hear none of it. He told her he would see her later that evening and she smiled briefly before turning away. She did not know what she was getting herself into, and she was terrified that she was making a huge mistake. The bottom line was that she had a boyfriend that she cared a great deal about, and going on a "date" with Draco Malfoy was not only wrong in that regard, but it was wrong on so many other levels as well. Her past with Draco was far from sunny. She had punched him and screamed at him and he had called her Mudblood and… And he had tried to kill Dumbledore. _He was a Death Eater…_ She thought as she told the Fat Lady her password and entered Gryffindor common room. His father no doubt had killed countless muggles and muggleborn witches and wizards as well as muggleborn sympathizers. He had done Voldemort's bidding for years, and she could not forget that Draco had been one of them. Draco had seen Hermione be tortured in his own home by his aunt. Although she did believe in second chances, she had to admit to herself that Draco did not have a great track record.

Then she thought about the way he looked at her, as if he knew what she looked like under her school uniform. And she thought of the way he smelled and the way his tongue felt as it slid around her mouth. She thought about his strong hands that had cupped her face and pulled her into a kiss that was difficult to forget. She thought about their time together in the library and how he simply sat across from her, seemingly enjoying her company. She thought about him asking her for help and she knew that he would have never done such a thing a year ago.

He had changed. She could see it in his eyes. Before when he had been malicious and callous and cruel his eyes were dark and clouded with something that Hermione could not name. Now, they were mysterious and searching and she could sometimes see the lust in his eyes when he looked at her. Just like all of them, the war had changed him, and she wanted more.

Hermione was now sitting in front of the fire that the house elves had lit in the common room. She removed her shoes and sat on the hearth, leaning back on her hands with her legs out in front of her so that her feet were warming near the fire. After a moment, she noticed how quiet it was in the common room and that no one had come in or out for a long time. She couldn't hear people talking or moving around in their dormitories, and she could not remember seeing any Gryffindors at breakfast. It gradually dawned on her that for the first time, every Gryffindor other than her had gone home for the Holidays. She guessed that because of the aftermath of the war, students were taking any chances they could to be with their families. If Hermione was totally honest with herself, she would have to admit that she hadn't just stayed at Hogwarts to get work done. The holidays were a somewhat bitter time for Hermione now that her parents no longer remembered who she was. The thought of never spending a holiday with them again suddenly brought burning tears to Hermione's eyes. Yes, the war had changed things, and some of those changes would last forever.


	10. I Couldn't Do Certain Things

**Chapter 10: I Couldn't Do Certain Things**

Later that evening, Hermione was curled up by the fire on a large armchair reading her Magical Ethics book. She was nodding along in agreement with one of the passages when she heard someone yelling outside the portrait hole. After setting down her book and removing herself from underneath the blanket that she had wrapped around herself, she walked over to the portrait hole and climbed out in order to see what was going on. When she stepped outside, she realized it was the Fat Lady who was yelling.

"How _dare_ you!" she was screaming in a shrill, ringing voice. "You think you can _insult_ me and then I will let you in? Why, you little—"

Hermione cleared her throat and the Fat Lady instantly silenced herself with a shocked look on her face. Hermione looked across from her at the source of the Fat Lady's frustrations and saw a tall, handsome man with blonde hair staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Draco.

"I came for our date," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, I see!" shrieked the Fat Lady. "This is the young man you met this morning. Well, my dear, he was trying to force me to allow him to enter without a password. The nerve!"

"It's okay, ma'am," Hermione said with a smile. "He can come in with me." Before the Fat Lady could protest, Hermione added, "And might I say how simply _marvelous_ that dress looks on you this evening." At that, Hermione told her the password and she let them into the common room with a mixture between a smile and a scowl on her face.

Without looking at Draco, Hermione walked back over to the chair she had been occupying and sat back down. Draco looked around the room, as he was seeing it for the first time.

"Where is everyone?" he eventually asked while he still looked around.

"Home for the holidays," she responded, not looking up from her Magical Ethics book.

"Ah," he said. She could almost hear the wheels in his head turning. He walked over and took a seat on the couch next to the chair she sat at. "You don't seem ready for our date," he said casually.

"I am," she said. She still kept her eyes on her book, but she was not reading. She had become too intoxicated by the smell that Draco was emitting.

With a wave of his wand, Draco conjured a plate loaded with finger sandwiches, a bottle of mulled mead, and two chilled glasses.

"I see you've been practicing Conjuring Spells," Hermione said smiling. She closed her book and set in on the floor beneath her right before she poured herself some mead and took a sandwich from the plate on the table in front of them.

After they had eaten and talked about classes and made sufficient small talk Hermione was reclining in her arm chair with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Draco was leaning back on the couch with his arms up on the back of it. Draco had just said something particularly funny and Hermione was laughing hard into her knees. Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her. After she had stopped laughing, Draco changed topics.

"So, why didn't you go home for the holidays?" he asked her.

The smile that Hermione had had on her face slipped slowly away and Draco suddenly wished he had not asked her. He thought she was going to go into another tirade about her relationship with Ron and how it was none of his business, and when he saw her eyes begin to sparkle with tears, he began to splutter out words.

"Her—I'm sorry," he said quickly. "We don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry."

"No," Hermione said laughing a bit at Draco's apologies. "It's okay. It's just… my parents."

"Oh…" Draco was having images of Death Eaters pulling out their limbs when he said, "Did they—?"

"No, no," she said shaking her head. "They're alive, but they…" she found that she could not say that words. "I had to erase their memories." She said quietly. "I didn't want anyone to come looking for me… I wanted them to be safe. I knew I would have a target on my back, especially once the…" she looked at Draco and she noticed that he looked extremely uncomfortable. "Once the Death Eaters realized I was traveling with Harry. So, I erased myself from their lives. Memory charms are irreversible you know."

Draco nodded slowly. "That's… that's almost worse than death," he paused a moment. "Knowing they're out there alive and safe but they don't know who you are."

Hermione nodded and began to tremble lightly. Draco reached over and pulled her chair closer to him. When she was close enough, he pulled her off of the chair and onto the couch with him. She went to him willingly and sat next to him. She curled her legs underneath her and rested her head on Draco's shoulder as he put an arm around her. One tear fell down her cheek. Draco looked down at her and without taking a second thought about it, he lifted up his hand and used his thumb to wipe away her tear. He then lifted her chin up so that she was looking at him. He stared into her mahogany eyes and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She exhaled deeply as his lips touched hers. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, and his hand moved to her thigh as they each deepened the kiss. Draco's tongue brushed Hermione's bottom lip and she leaned up and into him eagerly, engulfing his mouth with her own, sucking his lips and massaging his tongue with her own. Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her closer to him, but a moment later she pulled away.

She didn't say anything for a moment, but she put her head back on Draco's shoulder. His heart was racing and he could feel that she was still trembling, but this time it was not from sadness.

"W-Why didn't you go home for the holidays?" she said quietly, looking into the fire. Draco wanted to talk more about kiss—or keep kissing—and what this all meant, but he decided that for now, he would be on her terms.

"My—er—my family… Things haven't been the same since… you know," he said. Hermione noticed the lack of expression in his voice. "My dad's gone, and—"

"Where's your dad?" There was no accusation or judgment in her voice, Draco noticed. She was only curious.

"He's at our chateau in Northern France," Draco said. "After everything happened, my mom suggested that he leave and… 'get some air.' He was fine with it. I think," he paused briefly. "I think she just couldn't look at him anymore, you know? We—you know—we lost a lot after the war, and I reckon we deserved it after what we had done, but she just couldn't be around him. She blamed him for everything that I had gotten into, and he was just a constant reminder of everything she had lost." Hermione thought Draco was finished, but he added, "I know my aunt was terrible. I know she did despicable things to a lot of people… to you… but that was her sister. She lost her sister and nearly lost her husband and son."

"So," Hermione said after a moment. She wanted to get the subject off of the past and Bellatrix Lestrange as fast as possible. "Is your mother at the manor alone?"

Draco chuckled. "No, she went to visit my father." Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I know it seems weird after what I just told you, but she thought he could use company for the holidays. It'll be the first time that they've seen each other since September. They've written, but that's all… I just didn't want to be a part of it. I still can't really look at my father," he said quietly. "I… I think I did a lot of things that disappointed him."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I couldn't… I couldn't do certain things." Hermione could tell that Draco did not want to go further, so she did not press the issue. "But I'm glad I'm here," he said, looking down at Hermione. "Really glad." After about a minute of silence, Draco spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione made a noise that served as her consent. "Do you love Ron?"

Hermione lifted her head from Draco's shoulder and moved a little bit away from him on the couch as her stomach did a small flip. Although she had heard him clearly she said, "W-what?"

"Do you love him?"

"I… It's complicated," she said. She didn't think she should be having this conversation with Draco, but something pressed her on. "We've been through so much together, and I care about him a lot. He understands me and accepts me and he loves me so much. He tells me all the time—"

"But you don't say it back?" Draco interrupted.

"Well… I'm an actions more than a words kind of person. I rather show it than say it," she said.

"Hermione, you talk more than almost any person I know," Draco said with a small laugh. "You are most certainly a words person."

"Okay," she said. "I… Yes, I love him, but it's difficult," she reached over and took a sip from her glass. "I don't think I love him the way he wants me to… The way he loves me. But yes, I do love him."

Hermione poured herself the last of the mulled mead and when she set the bottle down, it magically refilled itself. She shook her head with a small smile on her face and took a swig from her glass. Draco filled his glass with mead, drank it down quickly and filled his glass again. He took a sip of his refilled glass and Hermione laughed.

"Merlin, are you thirsty?" she asked. Before she knew it, Draco was over her, and she was sinking onto her back on the couch as his muscular body pressed against hers and his lips found hers hungrily. He was devouring her mouth in a kiss that was much more forceful than the previous one they had shared. Draco thought that her tongue was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. His world had been shattered months ago, but with Hermione, things seemed just a little bit okay. At this thought, he kissed her even harder and moved his hand under her shirt so that his hand was on the smooth skin of her stomach. She moaned into his mouth when his hand moved up slowly and cupped her breast. She wriggled her hips against his and he pushed his waist against hers more firmly.

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him down to her as she then wrapped her legs around his waist so that he was now directly over her. When she used her legs to push him further into her, she could feel his hardness grind against her sensitive area, causing her to breathe in and out heavily. Draco leaned up for a moment and in one swift movement, he removed his shirt and moved his mouth to Hermione's again. After sucking on her lips for a few more moments, he moved his mouth to a sensitive spot on Hermione's neck causing her to gasp and moan with pleasure.

"Draco…" she moaned out in a husky voice as his mouth moved down her neck and toward her chest. She was shaking slightly when he moved down, lifted her shirt up to right below her breasts and began laying gentle kisses on her stomach. She knew that she had a boyfriend and that she was risking everything she had with him, but she could not think about that right now. The only thing she could think about was the feeling of Draco's hand massaging her breast as his tongue ran across her stomach.

At the sound of his name rolling off of Hermione's tongue, Draco stifled a groan and resisted the urge to rip off all of her clothes and take her on the couch then and there. He wanted her mouth around his shaft, he wanted to be inside her, and it was becoming difficult to resist. Draco moved up again and lifted Hermione's shirt the rest of the way off of her. He then pulled one cup of Hermione's bra down and placed his mouth around her erect nipple. Hermione moaned loudly and arched into him. She was writhing lustfully underneath him and whispering his name between gasps of air as he sucked her nipple and massaged it with his tongue. He could not get over her taste. He could only imagine what she tasted like elsewhere.

Draco removed her bra quickly and moved his mouth to her other breast while he massaged the other. She was now moaning loudly and uncontrollably underneath him and slowly grinding her hips against him. She wanted him so badly. She needed to feel his length inside of her and she needed to be relieved of the dull ache she could now feel underneath her panties.

"Draco…" she moaned. "Please…"

Draco suddenly stopped what he was doing, and Hermione leaned up on her elbows looking at him curiously.

"I can't do this, Hermione," he said. His voice was full of lusty need that indicated that he very much could do it. Hermione was thoroughly confused. She reached down and pulled her shirt up to her chest so that it was covering her exposed breasts.

She laughed a sardonic laugh, "Are you joking?" she asked. He had been asking her on a date for a week at least and she knew that they were doing exactly what he had had in mind.

"Break up with Ron," Draco said. Hermione stared at him.

"Draco, I—"

"Break up with him, Hermione," he said with a hint of urgency in his voice. "I can't do this knowing that you're with him. And I know you don't want this on your conscience."

"I already have plenty on my conscience," Hermione said, her voice raising. She maneuvered out from under Draco, stood up, and put her shirt back on. "It's funny," she said, although he could tell that she thought nothing in this situation was funny. "You didn't mind kissing me in the hallway or sending me explicit pictures," she said as she scooped up her bra and her book. "But now all the sudden you care about hurting Ron's feelings?"

Draco stood up but left his shirt off. Hermione wished he would put it on. "I don't care about him." Hermione scoffed. "I just—I want you… All of you, and I can't have all of you if you're with him."

Hermione just shook her head and made to head up to her dormitory. "You can see yourself out," she said.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled after her. She turned back at the foot of the staircase that led to her dormitory. "I know you don't love him—"

"You don't know anything—"

"I know you want to be with me," he said. "Look, I'll go, but you know that at some point, you'll have to do what makes you the happiest. Whether it's traveling or being with me, you'll have to make yourself happy. Do it now… With me."

Hermione looked at him for a long time. Without saying anything, she walked up to her dormitory. Draco stared after her for a long time before he left Gryffindor Tower and headed back to the dungeons.


	11. That Complicates Things

Thanks to everyone for the comments that were left on my story so far. I appreciate them more than you know. I have just a few things to respond to:

**PurgatoryNymphe**-You're exactly right in one respect. Hermione loves the security and comfort that Ron brings, and that is especially important after all that they have been through together. But she does care a lot about him, and she doesn't want to lose his friendship particularly, which has been a big part of a large portion of her life. This all makes her very hesitant about Draco, despite her obvious feelings for him.

**4SnowWolf**-I'm SO very glad that you liked the debate. I was hesitant about including it, but now that I know at least one person liked it, I'm glad I did.

**Parvati48**-Haha, that kid is so scared because Hermione was on the war path, and he was the first person she came in contact with after Draco sent her that last letter. You can imagine how scary she would have seemed... And as for her not going to find her parents, I always pictured that she would be too scared at first, but eventually, I think she will. (That's a completely different story, though :D)

**Chapter 11: That Complicates Things**

The rest of the break passed slowly for Hermione. She was lonely, and her mind was occupied with busy thoughts that had her in a constant state of anxiety. She wished Ron would come back so she could sort things out, and she wished that she could forget about everything that had happened. She had tried to concentrate on work for the rest of the night that she and Draco had been together, but thoughts of Draco and Ron kept swimming in her head. The morning following the night with Draco was Christmas and the guilt threatened to overwhelm Hermione when she opened Ron's Christmas present. His family had no money so he could not afford to get her something expensive, but he had managed to get her a picture frame with the two of them in it. In the photograph, Ron's arm was wrapped around Hermione's waist and Hermione would occasionally kiss Ron on the cheek. When they noticed Hermione looking at the picture, they waived at her happily. Hermione had placed the frame on her nightstand and stared at it for several minutes that morning.

For the rest of the break, Hermione tried to avoid any contact with Draco. When she went down to meals, she arrived late and left early and made sure that she sat nowhere near him. She could tell that he was trying to get her attention, and a few times he had tried to follow her out of the Great Hall, but she was successfully able to avoid him each time.

The following day, the rest of the students would arrive back at Hogwarts from the winter holidays. She missed Ron and needed his comfort, especially now, but she was also hesitant about his arrival. For most of the break, Hermione had tried to catch up on work, and when she had successfully completed all of her work as well as putting herself several weeks ahead, she was left with her thoughts. Occasionally, she would walk the grounds trying to clear her head, but she was so terrified that she might run into Draco that she tried for the most part to remain indoors. She had read some out of the books that she had received for Christmas, but mostly, she was alone with her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get her mind off of Draco.

Hermione was currently sitting in front of the fireplace with a pair of knitting needles dangling in front her, magically knitting a hat that she hoped she would have finished by this evening so she could start wearing it. When she heard the portrait hole open, panic briefly flashed through her. She had been sure that no other Gryffindors had stayed behind for the break. When she looked over at the portrait hole, the knitting needles suddenly fell to the ground and her eyes widened in shock.

"H-how—"

"I remembered the password when you said it the other night," Draco said lightly as he walked over the couch and took a seat next to Hermione. He was too close. She could feel his body heat, and this caused her chest to tighten and butterflies to fly madly around her stomach. She edged away from him to give herself more space.

Draco sighed. "I wanted to give you some space after the other night, but I can't anymore." If Hermione was not mistaken, Draco sounded slightly agitated. She did not say anything. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears, making it very difficult to hear anything he was saying. "I don't know what it is about you," she could barely hear, "But I want to be around you… All the time, and there's nothing I can do about it." He moved closer to her on the couch and she tried to move but there was no room for her to move away any farther. He was sitting as close as he could to her without their bodies touching. Still, she said nothing. "Look, if kissing you and trying to be with you pushes you away, then I… I'll try to be just friends. I just don't—"

"I don't want to be your friend," Hermione said quietly.

"Okay…" Draco said slowly. He didn't know what to say. "Hermione, I like spending time with you and I want to be around you. I'll stop trying to do... anything with you if that means I can just spend time with you."

"I… I _can't_ be your friend," she said.

"Why?" asked Draco. His voice was sharp and she realized he was angry.

"Because I… I have feelings for you," she said. "And that complicates things."

Draco stared at her for a moment before he reached over and put his hand on the back of her neck. He tried to pull her to him, but she pulled her head back. He continued to look into her eyes, and when he pulled her toward him again, she did not resist, but rather met his mouth with force. Their tongues were battling as Draco cupped both hands on Hermione's face and pulled her closer.

Hermione was in heaven, she was sure of it. Her head was light and her entire body was trembling violently. She felt lighter than air and she knew she had to be flying. Draco was kissing her lips, her cheek, her ears, her neck, every part of her that he could. She pushed him backwards, and he thought she was going to get up and leave until she was straddling him on the couch, kissing his mouth hungrily.

Draco reached a hand into his pocket as he was kissing Hermione and pulled out his wand, which he then used to magically remove Hermione's shirt and jeans. She was straddling him in her undergarments and Draco thought he would release himself into his pants at the sight of her. She did not protest to Draco removing her clothes. Instead, it pushed her further. Their mouths were perfectly melded to each other.

Moving his hand slowly, Draco slipped it into Hermione's panties. She stopped kissing him and put her forehead against his, staring into his eyes. As he slipped a finger into her, she gasped and moaned but did not remove her eyes from Draco's. He began to move his finger in and out of her slowly until he slipped a second finger inside. He began to pump his fingers in and out of her, and Hermione finally broke eye contact as she threw her head back and moaned uncontrollably. She was hot all over and she felt close to her peak already. Her arms were wrapped around Draco's neck and she was pulling herself against him as his fingers went in and out of her.

As Draco watched Hermione become unraveled in front of him, he wanted to be inside her. His shaft was hard and it was pushing uncomfortably against his jeans. Hermione was riding Draco's fingers and moaning loudly as he slipped a third finger inside of her. His hand was covered in her juices, and he could tell that she was close. She was moaning his name over and over until she finally inhaled a high pitched moan as she came and shuddered against him. She was orgasming and shaking against him as he slowed his hand movements, but kept a steady pace inside her. He rubbed her sensitive nub and she bucked violently. At the reaction, Draco began to massage her nub quickly, and he watched her as she came again breathing high pitched moans in and out as her body thrashed against his.

Finally, Draco removed his hand from Hermione's panties and put his arm around her waist. She was still straddling him with her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist, and her face in the crook of his neck. Her breathing had begun to even out, but she was still breathing heavier than normal.

The two of them stayed in that position for several minutes until finally, Hermione stood up, grabbed her things, and walked slowly up to her dormitory. Draco heard her sniffle as she walked up the stairs. For what felt like a long time, Draco waited for Hermione to return to him in the common room. The hardness in his pants had not been relieved, and he still wanted to figure out what was going on between them. If things had been complicated before, Draco was imagining just how complicated they were going to be soon.

After almost half an hour, Draco realized that Hermione was not going to come back down. He stood up and walked to the foot of the stairs that Hermione had climbed a while before. As he turned and walked out of Gryffindor Tower, the sound of her sobs was still ringing in his ears.


	12. That's Not Good Enough

**Chapter 12: That's Not Good Enough**

"Ron!" Hermione rushed to Ron, wrapping her arms around his neck as a group of Gryffindors entered the entrance hall of Hogwarts Castle. He met her embrace eagerly and, wrapping his own arms around her waist, lifted her off the ground and held her tightly. As he held her up, she leaned her head down and kissed him passionately. At this moment, she did not care that she was in a hall full of people.

As he was walking to the Great Hall for the welcome back feast, Draco spotted Ron and Hermione in their loving embrace, and he clenched his fists with anger. He quickly walked to the Great Hall, taking a seat at the Slytherin table, making sure his back was to the Gryffindor table.

"I love my gift, Hermione," Ron was saying with a bright smile after he finally set her down. Hermione glanced down at the gold watch she had given Ron for Christmas.

"I'm so glad," she said.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron. He noticed the tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Nothing," she said, quickly wiping them away. "I'm just happy to see you." Ron beamed and they walked into the Great Hall hand in hand as Hermione was turned around slightly, chatting with Ginny and Harry who were walking in behind them.

The feast was large as always and the four of them sat at the Gryffindor table long after they were finished, talking about the holidays and catching up on time lost. Harry and Hermione were laughing at Ron and Ginny who were telling a story about a Christmas years ago. Hermione was truly happy in this moment.

When they walked back to Gryffindor tower, Hermione nudged Ron and nodded in the direction of an empty corridor. Bidding a quick farewell to Harry and Ginny, Ron smiled broadly and said that he and Hermione had some catching up to do, with a sly grin on his face. Harry and Ginny both rolled their eyes and continued up to the tower.

Once Hermione and Ron entered an empty classroom, Ron's hands were all over Hermione, and he was kissing her eagerly, trying to remove her clothing. "I missed you so much," he said in between kisses. Hermione laughed against his lips and pushed him away.

"Take it easy," she said with a laugh as she walked behind a table to get away from him.

He frowned and said, "It's been weeks. Do we really want to just talk right now?"

"I would like to," Hermione said smiling. They were still both standing with a table in between them. Ron shrugged. "Are you going to ask me how my holidays were?" she asked him. He smiled but didn't say anything. He walked toward her and leaned forward on the table in between them. He reached for her hand, but she did not let him take it. "I missed you, Ron," she said, smiling.

"I missed you, too," he said, reaching for her again. And again, she did not let him touch her.

"I think we should take some time apart," she said quietly. The smile was gone from her face.

Ron took a step back from the table and stared at her with a mix of confusion, rage, and disbelief. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"I did a lot of thinking over the break, and I just think we—"

"You did a lot of _thinking_?" Ron yelled. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU 'DID A LOT OF THINKING'?"

"Ron, don't shout—"

"What do you expect me to do, Hermione?" He walked to the table and leaned forward, his face contorted with rage. "You kiss me and hug me and tell me you miss me, and then you tell me that you want to break up? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?" he repeated.

"I-I don't know!" Hermione was crying. "I don't know, Ron! And I didn't say I wanted to break up, I just said we should take some time apart!"

"We just HAD time apart!" he screamed.

"Ron, I'm sorry!" She reached for his hand, but he pulled back as if burnt. "Please, you're my best friend—"

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, I bet." He started to pace. "Tell me why."

"Ron—"

"No, Hermione, you say you want a break and I want to know why." He stopped pacing and looked at her.

"I… I don't know—"

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" He banged his fist on the table. "You come in here after kissing me and leading me to believe that everything was fine with us. I mean, what did I do—?"

"Nothing!"

"THEN TELL ME WHY YOU WANT TO BREAK UP!" Ron was screaming so loud that Hermione was sure someone would hear them.

"I—"

"TELL ME!"

"I cheated on you!" Hermione yelled back.

Ron stumbled back and sucked in air as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. His face was pale, and he looked like he might hit Hermione, but when he spoke, his voice was like ice. "With who?" he said quietly.

"Ron—"

"WITH WHO?" he roared.

"Dr—Malfoy," she said quickly.

His eyes widened in shock and his mouth opened and closed several times.

"M-M-Malfoy?" he spluttered out.

"Ron, I'm so sorry… please…" She walked over him and tried to embrace him, but he pushed her off of him. The hatred in his eyes sent chills through Hermione. He turned around and walked to the door. "Ron, please don't go. We should talk," she said quickly.

"No, I think you're right Hermione," he said, with his hand on the door handle. "We _could_ use some time apart." The chill in his voice made Hermione feel as if she had just been doused with a bucket of ice. Ron slammed the door behind him and Hermione put her back against it with her head in her hands. She slid slowly down the door, wrapped her arms around her knees, buried her face into her knees, and wept.


	13. I Heard What You Did

**Chapter 13: I Heard What You Did**

For the first time in seven years at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger was not present in any of her classes the next day. Harry asked Ron where she was, but he shrugged and said nothing. Neither Ron nor Hermione had told anyone about their break up yet, and neither of them was keen to talk about it any time soon. Harry knew something was up. Hermione was not in class, Ron had barely spoken all day, and Ron didn't know or seem to care where Hermione was. Even when they had not been a couple, Ron always seemed to know or at least be extremely curious about Hermione's whereabouts.

When they entered their last class of the day, Herbology—which Hermione was also absent from—Harry overheard two Ravenclaw girls talking.

"Yeah, he got detention for a month," one of them was saying. They were supposed to be working on harvesting usable wood from wand trees.

"It's just weird, you know?" the other one said. "He used to call her that all the time." Both girls looked at each other knowingly, and when they glanced over at Harry and then Ron who was a table over, he knew that something weird was happening.

Harry turned to Dean, who was his partner for the day, and asked, "Who got detention for a month?"

"You didn't hear?" Dean stared at Harry with shock in his eyes. "I'm really surprised that you of all people didn't hear about it."

"Why would I?" Harry was confused.

"Well, I don't know… Hermione…"

"What about her?" Harry was getting annoyed.

"Well, it was Malfoy," Dean said quietly. "After a class with the Slytherins and Ravenclaws, Malfoy was leaving the classroom with Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini and out of nowhere, he hexes Zabini!" Dean finished excitedly.

"What?" Harry said. As far as he knew, Blaise and Theo were Malfoy's friends. "Wait, what's this got to do with Hermione?"

"That's the thing, isn't it?" Dean was now whispering and Harry leaned in closer to hear. "Apparently he hexed Zabini because he called Hermione a 'filthy, blood traitor-snogging Mudblood.'"

Harry was speechless. For years, Draco had called Hermione Mudblood, and he had, in fact, been the first one that Harry had ever heard use the word. Not only that, but Draco hated the lot of them—him, Ron, and Hermione. Why would Draco seemingly defend Hermione's honor when he had said worse and when he hated them probably far more than Blaise Zabini?

"Wha—why?" Harry asked Dean.

Dean seemed uncomfortable about this next bit. "Well…" he said slowly. "Rumor has it that something is going between Malfoy and Hermione. Last night, Parvati was walking up to the common room when she heard yelling. She…" Dean was wringing his hands nervously. "She heard Ron and Hermione fighting." Dean paused. "She says she heard them break up and she heard something about Hermione cheating on Ron with Malfoy." Dean finished the last sentence very quickly.

Harry blanched. "WHAT?" he yelled. Several students turned to stare and Harry lowered his voice. "Dean, where have you been for the last seven years? Draco hates me, he hates Ron, and he hates Hermione. Why would she—"

"I don't know, Harry, that's just what I heard," Dean shrugged and looked eager to change the subject.

As soon as class ended, Harry ran as quickly as he could back to Gryffindor Tower. Knowing he would not be able to get up to the girls' dormitories, he yelled for Hermione.

"Hermione!" he called. "Hermione, I know you're up there! Come down here, I want to talk to you!" Harry raised his voice. "HERMIONE! HERMIONE, PLEASE COME DOWN HERE! HERMIONE—"

"Merlin, Harry, will you quiet down?" Hermione said as she emerged from the top of the stairs and walked down to meet him. It looked like she had been crying. There were several students in the common room and Hermione pulled Harry out of Gryffindor Tower so they could have a bit of privacy. "What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked once they had found a quiet corner.

"What is all of this about you cheating on Ron with Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked in an accusing tone.

"He told you?" Hermione said quietly.

"IT'S TRUE?" Harry could not believe his ears. His mouth was agape in shock.

"Harry! Please quiet down!" Hermione said urgently.

"Hermione, please tell me you're joking," Harry lowered his voice but not by much. "Malfoy has hated and taunted us all for years… He… He was a Death Eater!"

"He's changed, Harry," Hermione said in a low tone. "He… The war changed him just like it changed all of us. He's not like he used to be, and I think he really cares about me—"

"What about Ron?" Harry was in a state of disbelief. He was back to a normal tone of voice, but he was as confused as ever.

"We broke up," Hermione said as tears came to her eyes.

"So…" Harry didn't even know how to articulate what he was thinking. "You broke up with Ron after cheating on him with Malfoy, and now… What?" Harry was shaking his head. "Are you going to be with Malfoy?"

"I don't know. I truly don't know." Hermione said. "But, Harry, listen to me… Draco… He makes my heart race. He makes me feel beautiful and special, and when I'm with him I just feel like a better person… I want to be a better person with him." She was looking down at the floor, but Harry could see the small smile on her face. Then she looked up at him. "Haven't you ever felt that way before?"

"Of course I have," Harry said, thinking of Ginny. "You didn't feel that way with Ron?"

Hermione looked down again. "With Ron, it was different. I cared about him and I still do, and I know he loved me, but with Draco… I don't know."

"Hermione…" Harry took his hand and brought it under Hermione's chin. He raised her head so she was looking at him. "You know I love you. We've been through so much together, and you stuck by me when everyone else abandoned me… Even Ron. I will never be able to be a good enough friend to you to repay you for all that you've done for me. You deserve every happiness that life has to offer. So…" Harry brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. "If Malfoy makes you happy, then—as strange as it seems to me right now—I want you to be happy. Do what makes you happy."

Hermione looked into her best friend's green eyes, and in that moment, she knew why he was her best friend. She understood why the wizarding world idolized him and why Voldemort saw him as such a threat. It was like she was looking into his soul. He had lost so much and experienced so much that a man his age should never have to experience, and yet, his heart was still enormous and full of so much love. "Oh, Harry, you don't need to repay me. You're the best friend I've ever had." Hermione embraced him and sobbed into his shoulder. Harry held her for a long time before she pulled away.

"What about Ron?" she asked him.

Harry sighed. "I'll talk to him." He put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and guided her back toward Gryffindor tower as she put an arm around his waist. "I hate to see him in pain, but he knows what he has to do, and that's why he's upset… the hardest part of love… is letting go… He wants you to be happy, and eventually he'll realize that he's not the one for you."

They walked the rest of the way back in silence, and Hermione stopped outside the Fat Lady before they could enter. "How did you find out?" She was confused about this fact.

Harry chuckled. "Dean Thomas. He said something about Draco having detention for a month because he hexed Blaise Zabini for calling you a… filthy… blood traitor-snogging Mudblood. The rumor was that he'd done it because you cheated on Ron with him."

Hermione's eyes were wide with shock and then she laughed. "He's called me way worse—"

"That's what I'm saying."

* * *

That evening, Hermione found Draco as he was leaving McGonagall's office after serving a two hour detention that he would be serving every night for a month. When he saw her approaching him, his heart started beating quickly and his mouth became suddenly dry. She walked up to him and stopped a few feet from him.

"I heard what you did," she said.

Draco shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he said.

Hermione took a step forward. "Thanks," she said. Draco walked toward her, reached out hand and took her hand in his. He then brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it softly. Hermione closed her eyes and allowed Draco's mouth to find hers as she felt his hands cup her face.

After a short but tender kiss, Draco was moving his hands up and down Hermione's waist and looking down at her body when Hermione said, "I broke up with Ron." Immediately, Draco's head tilted up and his eyes locked with Hermione's. He smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace.


	14. What Am I Supposed To Do Now?

**Chapter 14: What Am I Supposed To Do Now?**

"I need to talk to you." Ron walked past the desk Hermione was standing at as she was packing her things away after Transfiguration the following day. He continued to walk past, and Hermione had barely heard what he said, but she packed up her things quickly and followed him out of the classroom at a safe distance.

When he turned the corner and walked out of the entrance hall and out of the castle, Hermione still followed although she was not dressed for the weather, wearing only her school uniform and robes over it. Ron turned another corner and leaned against a wall that hid them from view. Hermione stopped a few feet from him when she turned the corner as well.

"Take out your wand," he said.

Hermione's brow creased in confusion. "What, do you want to duel or something?" she asked with a tone of sarcasm. She thought she saw the flash of a smile on Ron's face, but as soon as she saw it, it was gone.

"Just take out your wand," he said in response. When she obliged, he stared at her and said, "_Obliviate_ me."

"What?" she said in disbelief. "Ron, what are you saying?"

"I want you to erase my memory of our relationship," he said quietly. His teeth were somewhat clenched.

"Ron, don't do this—"

"Hermione, I need you to do this for me. You—you cheated on me. You cheated on me with a guy who has been my enemy for years—with a guy whose family has treated my family like dirt since before any of us were born. You cheated on me with a guy whose aunt tortured and almost killed you while I screamed and begged for your release. You," he took a deep breath. Hermione did not interject. She could tell that he needed to get all of this out for his own sake. "You cheated on me while I was at home thinking about how much I missed you... You cheated on me and then told me you _missed_ me. I didn't care that you didn't say 'I love you.' I was able to see past it because I knew—or I hoped—that you did love me even when you didn't say it. I loved you more than it's possible for a person to love another person and you—" His voice broke and tears were glistening in his eyes. "I can't feel this way anymore. I can't keep loving you and missing you and wanting you. It has to end, so please," he walked toward her and raised her hand so that her wand was pointing directly at his chest. "_Obliviate_ me."

"Ron…" Tears were streaming down Hermione's face and she was shaking from the bitter cold and the ache in her heart. When the expression on his face did not change, Hermione spoke between choked gasps. "I… I'll do this for you… but only because I care about you, a-and I don't want you to be in any pain." The hand that held her wand was shaking. "Despite what you may think, I did love you." Ron closed his eyes and Hermione let out a large sob when she saw two tears slide out of each of his eyes. "I loved you, and I do love you. Just…" She did not need to finish her sentence. Ron knew what she was going to say and she knew it as well. No words needed to express the fact that Hermione did not love Ron in the same way that he loved her. "Oh, Ron," she choked. She took a step forward, but he took a step back. "Okay… I'll do this for you, but before I do, think about everything you'll lose. It won't just be the bad memories. You won't just lose this feeling you have now… You'll lose everything. The first time we met, the moment we became friends, the first time your heart leapt when you saw me, the moment you realized how much you loved me, all the times we laughed together. You'll lose all the ups and downs, and every memory we've ever had as friends and as… more… The first time we touched, the first time we kissed, the first time we—" Her voice broke, and a new batch of tears began to flow from her eyes. "E-everything will be g-gone, Ron… I-I'll be gone," she said between sobs.

Ron looked at Hermione for several moments before he fell to his knees in the snow and buried his face in his hands. Hermione quickly joined him on the cold ground, wrapping her arms around him and allowing him to clutch her and sob into her neck. Although she was freezing and she could barely feel her legs, she did not notice. They embraced each other for a long time before either of them spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said into her neck. "I don't want to lose everything… I don't want to lose you…"

"I never meant to hurt you, Ron," she said quietly. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt Ron's lips kiss her neck. He was then kissing her neck frantically, moving up her cheek, and when his lips met her mouth, she allowed him to kiss her. She allowed her mouth to open against his and his tongue to then enter her mouth with force until he sobbed into her mouth and buried his face in her neck once again.

Finally, Hermione pulled both of them out of the snow and allowed Ron to embrace her for a little while longer before he pulled back slightly.

Leaving their arms around each other's waists, Ron said, "I'll always love you, Hermione." Hermione leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Ron," said Hermione.

With their arms around each other, they walked back to castle in silence.

* * *

Not long after Harry saw Hermione and Ron leave the castle together, he walked up to his dormitory and made to lay on his four-poster when he spotted a note with his name scrawled across the front. When he opened it, his eyes widened, but he nodded slowly.

_Harry,_

_I know you hate me, and I know you've hated me all these years. I won't pretend like I didn't deserve it. I don't know how it happened, but now our fates are even more intertwined than they already were. Hermione loves and cares about you, and I love and care about her, so this is me extending my hand to you. I don't expect you to like me, but at least give us your blessing. Please. It would mean a lot to Hermione and it would mean a lot to me._

_Draco_

Harry placed the letter into his trunk and laid on his bed thinking for a long time. When he heard the dormitory door open, he looked up and saw Ron enter. His eyes were red, but he looked calm. Harry sat up in his bed and waited for Ron to speak first.

Ron walked over to his own bed and sat on it, and then rubbed his hand down his face. "I don't really want to talk about it," he said. Harry obliged and laid back onto his bed. Harry glanced at Ron and saw that Ron was looking at him expectantly.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it," Harry said with a smile.

Ron half smiled, half grimaced, and after several moments he said, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Harry had not expected the question, and he had no idea how to answer it at first. There was no question that Ron was not going to be able to move on quickly, and Harry did not expect him to. Earlier in the day, they had talked about Hermione, and Ron had seemed highly agitated. Now, he had a demeanor of cool acceptance. After a moment, Harry shrugged.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now," Harry said. "But you just have to deal with the pain. Allow yourself to feel it, and then let it go." Harry swung his legs over his bed and faced Ron. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love, Ron, but you can't let it consume you… Too many times, I let the grief consume me, but it doesn't help. I know you love her, so you have to do the hard thing. Let her be happy, even if that means you can't be with her… Let her go," he finished.

Ron stared at the floor for a long time, and then he slowly nodded and laid back in his bed, drawing the curtains around him. Harry got up and walked toward the door so that Ron could have some privacy. As he walked out the door, he thought he heard sniffs from Ron's bed. Harry walked down to the common room, his heart aching for his ailing best friend.


	15. If It's a Matter Of Love

**Chapter 15: If It's A Matter of Love**

That night at dinner, Ron did not join them, but Harry convinced Hermione and Ginny that eventually, he would be okay. Hermione remained fairly quiet for most of the meal, and neither Harry nor Ginny encouraged her to speak. Ginny was slightly angry with Hermione for breaking Ron's heart, but when Harry explained to her what Hermione had said to him about being with someone who makes you want to be better, her anger softened a bit.

Before dinner was over, Harry spotted Draco leaving the Great Hall, and after saying a quick goodbye to Ginny and Hermione, Harry followed him.

"Malfoy!" Harry called after him when he saw Draco approaching the staircase that led to Slytherin House. Draco turned around and faced Harry. He was incredibly unsure. He did not know how Harry would approach him, but he knew he had to face it if he wanted to be with Hermione.

"Potter," Draco said cordially. Harry walked up to him and stopped a few feet from him.

After a moment, Harry said, "Do you really love her?"

Draco considered Harry for a moment before he said, "Yes. I really do."

Harry walked up to him and extended his hand. Draco took it and they shook hands. As their hands were clasped together, Harry said, "Then you have my blessing. Just… please… Every instinct in my body is telling me not to trust you, but for her... She deserves… everything. Be good to her." Draco nodded, released Harry's hand, and walked down the stairs.

When Harry turned, his stomach gave a nervous leap when he saw Hermione standing a little ways behind him. She was looking at him curiously with her head tilted to the side as if to ask, _What was that about?_

"I gave him my blessing," Harry said as soon as he was close enough to her. Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Ron's your best friend—"

"I know," Harry said. "But so are you. Ron will be able to move on eventually, and he'll be able to be happy. You should be, too." They wrapped their arms around each other and started to walk back to Gryffindor Tower. "And if it's a matter of love, then—"

"What do you mean?" Hermione interrupted him and looked up at him.

"Well, he said he loves you—"

"He what?" Hermione stopped walking and stared at Harry. He told her about the letter that Draco wrote to him and what it said. After he was finished, Hermione stared at the ground. Harry knew that her mind was working quickly. She was muttering to herself, and Harry could only make out a few words.

"He loves me?" she was saying to herself under her breath. "I knew he liked me and I knew he wanted to be with me, but _love_?" She was shaking her head and then she suddenly stopped when a thought occurred to her. _Do I love him, too?_ She began to back slowly away from Harry, and he called after her.

"Hermione?"

"I… I'm sorry, Harry, I have to go find Draco," Hermione said to him. "Thanks, Harry. I love you!" she called as she turned and quickly walked toward Slytherin House.

Draco was sitting in the common room of Slytherin House studying with a few other Slytherins. He was having trouble concentrating, so he hoped that studying with a group would change that. Ever since Hermione had told Draco that she broke up with Ron, his mind had been all over the place. He did not know what to do now. He wanted to give her space and time so that she could get over her break up, but at the same time, he kept reliving the night in the Gryffindor common room when she had moaned and shuddered against him. He imagined himself over her, while she clung to him for dear life, coming over and over. He could not get this image out of his head, and now that he had received Harry's blessing, he was even more eager to be with Hermione. But was that all he wanted? Draco didn't know how far he wanted this relationship to go. He had told Harry that he loved Hermione in the letter he wrote to him, and although he had been hesitant about writing those words, he truly had meant them. He did love her. He loved the way she looked at him and the way she smelled; he loved her brains and even her occasional snarky attitude. Despite his love for her, he did not know if he was ready for a long term commitment.

Outside of the Slytherin House, Hermione was pacing back and forth. She didn't know how she was going to get in or how she was going to get Draco to come out. Not only that, but she didn't know if she wanted him to come out. He had told Harry that he loved her. This man who had been her enemy up until about a month ago told Harry that he loved her. The thing that really surprised Hermione was that she might feel the same way. She wanted to be with him in every sense of the word. She wanted his toned body in her arms, and she wanted to know his secrets, his dreams, his desires. She wanted every part of him, but she didn't know if she loved him. Ron was still in the back of her mind, and she was not ready to let him go completely.

As Hermione stood there pacing, a Slytherin girl a bit younger than Hermione approached her with an accusing look on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the girl speak. She had been so completely in her own world that she had not even noticed if anyone was around.

"I…"

"You're Hermione Granger," the girl said. It was a statement, rather than a question. Hermione nodded. "You'll be wanting to see Draco then?" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could say anything, the girl smirked. "Trust me, rumors about the two of you have been going through this House like mad. I'll go get him," she said. Hermione didn't know if she should be angry, confused, excited, or what. So, she just stood there, waiting.

As Draco was sitting with the group of seventh year Slytherins, a fifth year Slytherin girl entered the common room and approached their table.

"Draco?" she said. When he looked up at her, she said, "There's someone outside who wants to see you." She then walked toward a group of Slytherin girls and sat with them. Knowing—or rather hoping—who it might be, Draco packed up his things and brought them to his dormitory. He then said goodbye to the Slytherins he had been sitting with moments earlier and exited Slytherin House...


	16. Together

_Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, and enjoyed my story. It has been a great pleasure to write this story, and I appreciate the support I have gotten from everyone. If you would like to see another story from me, please take my poll and vote on the relationship you would like to see me write about next. These next two chapters will be the last two, and although I wish it didn't have to end, all good things must. Enjoy._

_**Chapter 16: Together**_

When Draco saw Hermione standing in front of his the entrance to Slytherin house, his heart leapt into his throat.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," Draco said.

Hermione walked toward him and stood only a few inches from him so that they were nearly touching. She looked up at him and said, "Did you tell Harry that you loved me?"

Draco's heart began to beat so loud and fast in his chest that he was sure that Hermione would be able to hear it. "Yes," he said.

"Is that true?" she asked, edging a bit closer to him.

After only a few seconds, Draco said, "Yes."

For what felt like an eternity, Draco and Hermione stared at each other. Draco's head was spinning and his heart was threatening to jump from his chest. Hermione was trembling slightly and her breathing was somewhat labored. Suddenly, Draco pulled Hermione forcefully to him. Hermione leaned her face away from him, but pressed her pelvis to his. He lunged forward and tried to kiss her, but she moved her head away from his. He looked at her for a moment before she lunged into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting at his lips. With his arms around her waist, Draco pulled Hermione tightly against him and walked them back so that they were against a wall near the Slytherin House.

Draco pressed his lips against Hermione's and opened his mouth against hers. She opened her mouth in response and playfully moved her tongue against Draco's. Just as he had done weeks ago, he hitched Hermione up against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer. Their tongues were massaging each other's and she had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as his hands moved to untuck her white button down top of her school uniform from the slacks that went with it. His hands were on her stomach as she engulfed his bottom lip in between her own lips and sucked lightly. When Draco moved his mouth to Hermione's neck, she was finally able to breathe, and she let out several heavy breaths mixed with quiet moans as Draco's mouth sucked on the sensitive spots of her neck and chest. His hands traveled up her stomach and each cupped one of her breasts, causing her to moan a little bit louder than before, while her shirt was riding up to expose her flat stomach.

As he was kissing her neck and massaging breasts, Hermione was grinding her hips only slightly against his body. When she felt one of his hands lightly pinch her erect nipple she lift her arms above her head and tried to clutch the wall behind her. Draco's hands moved off of her breasts and to her waist. He slid his hands from her waist, up her ribs and up her arms until his hands were holding hers above her head as his mouth now found hers once again. Both of their tongues were roaming around in each other's mouths, and they were each breathing heavily. While still using one hand to hold Hermione's arms above her head, Draco slowly moved one hand down in between them and cupped Hermione's mound through her pants. She gasped and moaned quietly, and then removed one of her arms from Draco's grip and clutched his wrist to stop him.

Hermione moved her mouth away from his, and she said between labored breaths, "Draco… We… can't… We can't do this here." He moved his head so that their foreheads were resting against each other. One of his hands was still holding Hermione's in the air, while his other hand was being held by Hermione's in between them and her legs were wrapped around him. He took a step back when Hermione put her legs on the floor beneath them. He still held one of Hermione's hands as he guided her silently away from Slytherin House and toward a place where they could be alone.

Hermione trailed slightly behind him as he pulled her along urgently. They said nothing as they climbed several staircases, and they only stopped once when Hermione stopped, pulled Draco to her, and kissed him deeply. He was on the verge of losing control again until he stopped himself and pulled her along again, now at an even quicker pace.

When they stopped outside the location where Hermione knew the Room of Requirement to be, she almost moaned at the thought of what she would soon be doing. Draco released her hand and paced back and forth in front of the door three times. On the third go, a large door appeared in front of them. Draco took Hermione's hand again and guided her into the room.

Hermione gasped once they entered the room and the door shut with a snap and a lock behind them. In front of her, Hermione could see a large bed in the center of the room. A fire was roaring in the fireplace some feet away from the bed, but what really caused Hermione to gasp was that the room was surrounded by hundreds of candles, around the bed and the rest of the room. Hermione felt like her chest was expanding due to all the love in her heart for Draco.

Hermione pulled Draco to her and kissed him tenderly before she asked, "What did you tell the room?"

He smiled seductively and said, "You don't want to know."

Then, without warning, he scooped Hermione up into his arms. She let out a surprised "Oh!" and he walked over to the large bed with a canopy over it. He placed her on the bed and she laid on her back smiling up at him. In one swoop, Draco removed his shirt and climbed on top of her. Her legs were bent and spread open slightly, and he placed himself between them. He used one arm to prop himself up and the other to massage Hermione's breast as they kissed each other deeply. Their mouths were open and pressed tightly to each other's as their tongues searched the inside of their mouths hungrily.

With a surprising amount of force, Hermione turned them both over and straddled Draco, while pinning his arms over his head. She attacked his mouth with hers and he bent his head up as much as he could to meet her. She released his arms for just a moment so that she could remove her shirt. He tried to reach his arms up to touch her breasts, but she pinned his arms down again while she teased his tongue with her own.

Draco could feel her shaking slightly and as she ground her hips down onto his own, he could feel the warmth in between her legs that told him she was ready for him. As her tongue was brushing against his lips lightly, she suddenly ground down hard on Draco's already extremely hard length. He groaned, and with one swift movement, he was on top of Hermione again, kissing her with force.

Draco moved his hands down and began to unbutton Hermione's pants. She was gently writhing against his hands, and he realized his hands were shaking as he removed her pants and panties quickly. He stared down at her and when she blushed, he said, "You're beautiful," in a voice that was filled with desire. He then reached his arms around her back and unhooked her bra. As he stared down at her naked body, he realized just how badly he wanted her.

As Hermione was lying beneath Draco with her legs spread open and him in between them and her arms bent slightly above her head, she became nervous. She had been with Ron, so it was not the first time she feared—it was her feelings for Draco that she feared. He was looking down at her with such lust and love in his eyes, and she became overwhelmed by her feelings for him. She pulled Draco down to her, but instead of kissing him, she pulled him down so that her mouth was by his ear.

"Make love to me," she whispered. He pulled himself up and kissed her hard. She moaned into his mouth as she felt his hardness grind against her sensitive area underneath Draco's pants. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he pressed against her. He began kissing her neck, and he moved down slowly, placing a kiss on her collarbone before he moved down and placed his mouth over one of her erect nipples. She pressed her hands against the bed frame behind her and arched into his mouth, moaning loudly. Draco sucked on Hermione's nipple and flicked it with his tongue while Hermione moaned and writhed against him. He then moved his mouth to her other breast, repeating the same movements.

Hermione felt almost numb. She was in a state of pure bliss and she couldn't get enough of the feeling of Draco's mouth on her body. After a moment, however, she groaned with displeasure as Draco removed his mouth from her breast. He looked at her briefly before leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach.

Hermione tilted her head back in ecstasy, and when she felt his mouth on her sensitive area, her hips bucked forward violently and her head shot up so she could look at him. She let out a high pitched, breathy moan, and then he bent her legs up and spread them apart further so that he could gain better access to her.

Draco's tongue was running up and down in between Hermione's folds slowly, and when he began sucking on her most sensitive area, her moans became frequent and consistent, getting louder each time. She ground herself against his mouth moaning his name and breathing heavily. When he lifted up his head for a moment, Hermione reached down and put her hands on the back of his head, pushing him into her. He smiled at her desire and continued the movements of his mouth. He flicked his tongue back and forth on her sensitive spot and began sucking it once again as Hermione pushed him into her and brought her hips up to reach him.

When Hermione thought she could take no more, she felt Draco slip two fingers inside her while he was still massaging her nether regions with his mouth. He pushed his fingers in and out of her quickly, and she began moaning loudly and uncontrollably as she was about to reach her peak. Draco sucked hard and pumped his fingers in and out of her as she came, moaning his name loudly.

Without wasting another second, Draco came back up and removed his pants quickly. He was on his knees on the bed, and Hermione sat up and bent forward, placing her mouth around the tip of Draco's length. He groaned as he felt her mouth slide down the length of his member and then retreat slowly. He looked down at Hermione, who was looking at his erection as her mouth surrounded it. At the sight of her, Draco could wait on longer. He grabbed Hermione's shoulders and pushed her backwards on the bed. He bent and opened her legs and placed himself at her entrance, leaving his hands on her knees. She was moving her hips, trying to push herself on to him, but he did not move just yet.

"Draco…" Hermione moaned. Her eyes were closed and her hands her on his stomach. "Come on," she said huskily, and without waiting another moment, he pushed himself slowly inside her. Her breathing was heavy and labored, and he pulled himself slowly out of her. As she writhed underneath him, he pushed slowly inside her again, and once again pulled all the way out slowly. "More," Hermione whispered.

With a deep moan, Draco took Hermione's arms and pinned them above her head as he bent over her and thrust deep inside her. She moaned his name loudly, and he began a steady rhythm in and out of her. She was breathing heavily and moaning right before she gasped out, "Harder," causing Draco to pound into her mercilessly. He grunted quietly with each thrust, and he moaned her name when she clenched her walls around his hard shaft.

Draco then moved his hands to her waist, shifted both of them, and lifted her up so that she was straddling him and moving up and down on his hardness as he sat on the bed with his arms around her waist. He met each of her movements with a thrust as she came down on him, with a sharp moan each time. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and she was pressing him to her as he began to flick her nipple with his tongue. She pushed him back on the bed and brought herself down hard onto his member several times before he turned them over once again—now with their heads at the opposite end of the bed—and thrust in and out of her. She warned him that she was close, and he bent down and whispered in her ear, "Together." She nodded as she gasped and moaned. He pounded into her harder than ever, and her moans were now verging on screams as she wrapped her legs around him so that he could be deeper inside of her. Hermione and Draco looked at each other, and with one more deep thrust, they each came as Draco released himself inside Hermione and Hermione arched her back and shook with orgasm.

Draco collapsed on top of Hermione and remained inside her and on top of her for a long time. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. After a while, he moved off of Hermione and she moved so that she was lying on his arm that was behind her neck. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him so that her face was in the crook of his neck, one of her hands was resting on his chest, and one of her legs was wrapped around his.

Draco pulled the covers over them as Hermione said, "I love you, Draco."

He tilted his head so that he could see her properly. "You do?"

He looked so adorable and vulnerable that Hermione had to laugh. "Of course I do. As crazy as that might seem." After another moment, she said, "A Mudblood and pureblood… Now, that's one for the story books." She began to laugh uncontrollably as Malfoy growled and began to tickle her.

When he stopped, the smile he was wearing slipped off a bit, and she looked at him with a bit of concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing," Draco said. He turned his body slightly so that they were both facing each other. "Before that day in the library, before I was with you… I… I was broken." He reached up a hand and placed it on her cheek. "The war… You know, everything," he said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "It… it took a toll on me, but you…" Hermione's eyes were glistening with tears and Draco bore his soul to her. "You fixed me, Hermione. You fixed me when I… when I was broken. You made me whole again."

Hermione pulled Draco to her, and he buried his face in her neck. She held him like that for a long time before he whispered, "I love you," and drifted off to sleep in her arms.


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Five Months Later_

Draco Malfoy was climbing into one of the carriages that would take him and the rest of the students to the Hogwarts Express that was waiting to take them all back to King's Cross Station in London. He sat next to and across from three fellow seventh year Slytherins, each talking about their summer and future plans. Draco looked over at the carriage that Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were sitting in, and when he caught Hermione's eye he winked. She smiled back at him.

For the past several months, things between Hermione and Draco flourished. They became closer and closer, each learning about the other's past, present, and future. As both of them knew, they each grew up with very different backgrounds that might make things a bit difficult for their futures, but because they loved each other so much, they were both willing to do anything to be together, no matter what that might mean.

Hermione looked over at Draco and thought about how truly amazing her life was at this moment. She had Draco, who she loved deeply, things between her and Harry were the best they had ever been, and things between her and Ron were—although far from perfect—getting slowly but steadily back on track. After another quick glance at Draco, she looked back at her friends who were each talking about summer plans.

In Draco's carriage, the blonde haired boy was brought away from his thoughts of Hermione when he noticed that everyone in his carriage was staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Marcus asked you what your plans were now that Hogwarts is over," one of them said.

"Oh…" Draco said, a smile spreading across his face. "I think I'm going to travel." And as he looked over at Hermione once again, he knew that he would travel with her and that their lives would be bliss.


End file.
